


Proven Wrong

by Lamer5799



Series: Mon!Star AU [1]
Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2019-08-05 14:11:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 25,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16369118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lamer5799/pseuds/Lamer5799
Summary: In his past Toffee wanted nothing more than revenge for monsterkind. He raised an army, he raided the Mewni kingdom. Then almost as fast as he started he stopped with questions about his base beliefs. With new beliefs he went to work and three centuries later his plan is in motion and working faster than he dared hope.





	1. Chapter 1

Revenge, thats what started all of this. Septarians are essentially immortal and unkillable creatures. Their lives can stretch into millenia. Toffee’s goes back three hundred and fifty years. After watching a massacre that renamed an entire region his hatred of the mewmen was galvanized. It took him nearly no time to gather an army that drew from nearly every clan save the size shifters and some of the more peaceful clans. He made it his mission to redeliver all the injustices that the monsters suffered back to the mewman.

Then came Eclipsa and Globgor. The idea of a mewman and monster together baffled him while he dwelt in the depths of his hatred. But the more he thought. The more he looked at his army. The more he thought about what little he was able to achieve. It slowly and surely dawned upon him. All he was doing was proving the mewmen right about his kind, that each and every one was a savage, baby eating barbarian. The thought of him playing into the hands of the mewmen unwittingly sickened him physically.

Putting his crusade on hold he sought out the wayward queen. If for nothing else than to ask why? Finding her in a long forgotten monster temple with her size shifter lover, an infant in her arms.

“Why hello deary,” Eclipsa said to him. Nonplaused by his sudden presence. “You must be that Toffee fellow. May I ask why you’re here?”

“I find myself doing something I have never done before.” Toffee looked over her coolly. He then looked away and at the intricately carved murals of the walls. “Doubting my choices. My entire life has been one meticulous plan that has been unfolding to near perfection. But now you and Globgor’s vary existence together makes me think that the entire thing is flawed in concept.”

“And what is this plan?” Eclipsa asked.

“To return the injustices that we monster have suffered to the mewmen,” the lizard said plainly.

“And then what?”

“Rule Mewni,” he hummed. “No, no thats not right. What was it again?”

“Did you not think that far ahead? After every injustice is repayed, what next? You just take the mewmens place and the mewmen take the monsters?” Eclipsa’s words where cheery and bubbly but they carried with them the weight and pressure of a sharp blade.

“I need to rethink many a things,” he sighed.

“You do that,” she said as she smiled at him, “and let me know what you come up with.”

Though he never did get the chance to tell her. A week later the Magic High Commission imprisoned both her and Globgor, her hybrid daughter never heard of again. Some distant relative with Butterfly blood took the throne named Festivia. He wound up thinking that Eclipsa had the right idea with her daughter, but executed it poorly. An official hair of monster and mewmen blood would have been better. But to do that their needed to be a monster as Mewni’s king. Now that, would be quite the undertaking. With it his true revenge would take shape, to prove them all wrong.

Through negotiations, war, deals, and secrets Toffee spent the next three hundred years solidifying the scattered monster clans under one banner. For nearly a hundred years no monster raided or attacked a mewman. The mewman fear of his kind had dulled enough that he deemed it the right time for his true revenge. Toffee sent out a missive to Queen Comet Butterfly.

* * *

 

To her Eminence, Queen Comet Butterfly of Mewni.

I, Toffee of Septarsis, heralded leader of the Unified Monster Clans, here by request a meeting under banner of peace. For too long our people have hunted and killed each other in a cycle of hatred. I purpose a meeting of just you and how ever many knights allow you comfort of thought and I alone to meet in a location of you choosing at a time of your choosing to discuss such terms.

Sincerely; Toffee of Septarsis, the Unifier.

* * *

 

“Its got to be a trap,” Mina Loveberry screamed. She slammed both her fist onto the conference table. “No way am I going to trust some dirty, stinking monster!”

Around the table gawking at her where the Captain of the Royal Guard, the Commander of the Knights, the King of Mewni, the members of the Magic High Commission, the Princess, and lastly the Queen who looked at her from the head of the table. All eyes where on the Royal Protector, save Hekapoo who boredly tossed a flame between her fingers.

The Royal Protector’s eye twitched as her anger seethed. Hostility pulsed from her. Centuries of fending off monster raids has surely tempered her attitude towards anything to do with the non-mewmen. Some would rightly call her irrational in her single minded judgment of them.

“Think this through Mina,” the Queen admonished. “This Toffee has unified the monsters, and it seems he is responsible for the near zero attacks we’ve had for the past years.”

“Its a trap!” Mina hunched over with her hands on the table, her eyes shifting from side to side. “Luring us into a false sense of security and then Bam!” Mina slammed her fists into the table. “We’re monster snacks!”

“Yes, yes Mina,” the Queen sighed, “I am well aware of your opinion. I however am inclined to seek out every opportunity to keep Mewni safe.”

Queen Comet read over the short and simple missive again. Toffee, she knows that she has heard that name before.

“Does anyone know of this Toffee?” The Queen asked.

Young Princess Moon rose her hand. “My tutor just started going over the reign of Solaria the Monster Carver. Toffee was a warlord in that time, he plundered most of the outlying territory along the Forest of Certain Death.”

“Well, that explains it,” the Queen hummed.

“He is also referred to as The Lizard,” Princess Moon added.

“The Lizard?” The King asked, aw leaching into his voice. The military veteran turned King gained a twinkle in his eye. “I’ve studied The Lizards battle stratagem, brilliant. With an army half the size of Mewni and with the forth of the resources he managed to put the entire kingdom on the back foot. And then there is the legendary warriors from Septarsis to begin with. If he is willing to seek peace, I would suggest trying to take him in. A vile monster he may be but I would much rather have a mind like his with us than against us.”

“I say we kill ‘im!” Mina snapped.

“He’s a septarian, Mina,” Hekapoo clicked her tongue. “He can’t be killed. They only die from old age, and that takes at least a thousand years. Some times two or three. Well Comet, whats you decision? I’m getting bored.”

“I’ll meet him,” Comet said. She then looked over the map that was carved into the table. “Stoneheart Spire seems like a good meeting place. Send a division and secure the mountain. When they have ensured that no monsters are in the area I will send the missive for the meeting to be held the next day. Oh, and do not use lethal force if you come across any monsters. We are looking for peace after all.”


	2. Chapter 2

Stoneheart Spire. A lonely mountain risen by Butterfly magic at the founding of the kingdom. Far enough north that the Butterfly Castle and its town where just specks on the horizon. Deep enough in Mewni that Toffee would be hard pressed to sneak an army to it. The mountain itself was turned into a makeshift fortress. Palisades and knights littered the base and along the path to the top. All in all a good choice, he would have made the same one if the roles where reversed.

Reversed. The idea brought back his brief discussion with Eclipsa. The mewmen and monsters reversed. While it did give him a brief sense of elation to think about it, looking into the future he just saw the same problems as there where now. Constant fighting, if not by large armies than small raiding bands.

In a show of good faith Toffee’s portal opened up at the base of the mountain. Upon exiting the swirling vortex he adjusted the lapels on his tailed coat. He dressed for the occasion in crisp and neat black trousers, white under shirt, a dark green tailed coat, and a jabot with a red gem pin. His hair slicked back he approached the nearest knights calmly.

“I am expected?” He asked calmly.

“Toffee, right?” The knight asked. Toffee chose to ignore the obvious disdain in her voice.

“Yes,” the septerian nodded, “this way?”

He pointed to a path lit by some kind of crystal. The night nodded and then began to lead the way.

* * *

 At the top of the Spire Queen Comet sat at the head of a long table not unlike the one in her council chamber where she would meet and discuss matters with her advisers. The difference was that the table had no map carved into it and their where only two high backed chairs at opposite ends. To say that she was nervous was an understatement. All the knights helped. But her nerves where more a kin to meeting a foreign ruler for the first time than coming face to face with a monster.  
Comet Butterfly was unlike her daughter, she had no inclination for fighting. The Combat Spells that she learned never felt right even if they did what was intended. She spent her time in the castle, often in the kitchen thinking of new ways to prepare corn. She preferred the heat of an oven to the stress of fighting. As a result to her more culinary inclinations she has only ever seen a few monsters in passing, often to dungeon cells or to the gallows.

The stories that every mewman was told as a child did give her some ideas of what to expect. She pictured a savage thing dressed in rough hides with jagged teeth and claws. For it to speak in a guttural tone.

“My Queen,” a footman called out, “the monster has arrived.”

“I believe my name is Toffee,” came a smooth and well pronounced voice. “Would you introduce a dignitary from the underworld as a mere demon?”

“He is right,” Queen Comet said. Years of training and practice are all that allowed her to not freeze in shock.

The monster, Toffee, was dressed in finery suited for her court. He spoke in clear and pronounced words. Grey scales for skin, black hair slicked back, a thick tail lulling behind him with the tip just shy of the ground. Even his poster was better than most of her court.

“Am I not what you expect?” Toffee asked.

“No you are not,” the Queen admitted.

“If any of my subordinates where here you would not be what they expect either,” Toffee told her. He gestured to the empty chair, asking permission to sit which she gave. “As children we are told of the cruel mewmen, who take little monsters who don’t listen to their parents. Of the ruthless knights that burn our villages to grow their delicious corn. The kingdom that has a holiday for the worst monster massacre in our history. They would expect you to be the visage of Solaria the Monster Carver, I am glad you appear to be more civilized than that cretin. No offense intended to you.”

“Does my ancestor have that bad a reputation?” Comet asked, intrigued by the monsters point of view.

“The area you now call the Forest of Certain Death was once a nation of monsters,” the lizard said. “It was hardly glorious or prosperous. A gathering of small villages that hunted the creatures for their meat to eat and hides to trade. Your ancestor took on look at how close they where to Mewni boarders and then went in herself to wipe them out. I believe its how she got her epitaph, or Royal Alias. The clan that was their is only now regaining their numbers.”

“She got that name defending the Mewni from you, The Lizard.” Comet pointed out.

“I was in the forest when she came,” Toffee said, “my mother was a trader, I was learning her craft. I watched Solaria kill children. That is what started me on my path. It was her daughter that brought me from it, her and Globgor. Now I see the conflict of monsters and mewmen from above where I was once in the middle of it. Its a circle of hatred, one that your people started when they came here but it has to stop at some point. If no one else then why not me.”

“If that is your belief,” Queen Comet murmured. Slightly shaken by the revelation, if it was true. The stories often painted the monsters as liars. “Now, we are here to talk peace.”

“Yes,” the septarian drummed his claws on the table. “My goal is either a stable partnership between a monster nation and Mewni or integration of the monsters into Mewni. I will live a long time and am vary patient, I waited a three hundred years for this moment I can wait another century or two for the next step.”

“Those are your only demands in this?” Comet asked. Mystified at his goal.

“Those are my goal,” the septarian smiled slightly. “I have a few ideas on how best to initiate both, which one is up to you. Personally I believe integration would be better for the long run. If done right mewmen and monsters will think of each other as one if given enough time. Separate nations is inviting the ideas of competition and then organized war.”

The queen hummed in consideration. Most would hate if either of those plans went into motion. The idea of organized monsters sends a chill down her spine and prickles her skin. But inviting them into Mewni to live and work sets her on edge just as much. But if the monsters think of themselves as mewmen it would solve more problems that it would rise in the long run.

“Your thoughts on integration?” She asked.

“Simple,” Toffee said as he threaded his fingers together. “Most of the clans are in the Jaggy Mountains to the north east. We are in a kind of federation with each clan having its own leadership and territory. In the end their is a council that acts as authority for inter-clan issues. What I suggest is accepting the current set up as a vassal state. I have already set up the ground work for a more feudal system to match yours to take over the council. An Archduke will take the position of the council and clan leaders will be made lords and ladies.”

“I would guess a series of trade deals would then need to be struck between us,” the Queen offered. “Start creating ties that would bind us. Make us dependent on each other until its hard to tell us part and then dissolve or demote the Archduke.”

“Precisely,” Toffee said with a smile.

“And how do we guaranty that this deal will not harm us? That the monster would use us to build up a stock pile and then attack when they have enough resources?” The queen pressed.

“A diplomatic prisoner,” Toffee said with out missing a beat. As if he already had the conversation or knew what the Queen would ask before hand. “I am considered quite the hero among the clans. I have unified us and eased the suffering of many of the smaller ones. I have a sibling ready to be made into the archduke. While I can’t be killed the idea of me in Butterfly Castle as a guest would be seen as an act of good will to my kind. With the threat of extreme pain that they could never imaging being subject to if they cross a line or brake the deal.”

The Queen went quiet as she retreated into thought. He had made many good points. So far nearly everything he has said cut both ways, benefiting both sides. The Jaggy Mountains where filled with ore and wealth, while Mewni could supply food that couldn’t be grown or reared in the rocky landscape. They would model their own government after Mewni’s with the head of state holding a lesser title. The rulers brother held hostage to enforce the agreement. It was getting hard to think of draw backs. Queen Comet thought of how her advisers would react.

Mina would scream a trap and try to kill Toffee. Her husband would welcome him, but keep a firm hand on him. The captain be against him coming to the castle but welcome the rest of the deal. The commander would be overjoyed with the thought of what they could do with everything that would come from the Jaggy Mountains. The Magic Commission would be wary and speak of Eclipsa and the evils of consorting with monsters. But this deal could mean the end of the monster threat. Codependency is better than being wary of attack.

“I believe we have the outline for an agreement,” Queen Comet said and then gestured for a scribe. “Now for the nitty-gritty details.”

* * *

Three days of talking and debating the details of the agreement the Queen of Mewni and Toffee looked it over once more. The scales where slightly tipped in Mewni’s favor, but that hid the protection laws for monsters that were Toffee’s main goal. Toffee would be taken to Butterfly Castle as a political hostage. The borders of the new Monster Dukedom would be guarded by Mewni’s knights alone. The cost exchange for the products of the Jaggy Mountains to food stuffs was slightly skewed but with in Toffee’s expectation.

In the end the septarian smiled at the deal. He had actually accomplished much more with this signed piece of parchment. While monsters and mewmen are not equal, yet, it is a large step.

“All according to plan I take it?” the Queen asked as she signed the agreement with a flourish of her quill.

“It might be more so,” Toffee admitted. Dipping the tip of a claw into the ink. Then with sharp, knife-like lines his name is cut into the parchment. “I will send a copy to my sibling and then accompany you.”


	3. Chapter 3

Butterfly Castle and town. The capital of Mewni. Three hundred years ago Toffee thought the only way he would ever see the onion domed spires of the castle would be as a conquerer. Instead he was an uneasy guest. He hummed in amusement as the knights guarding the door stiffened as he and the queen stepped out of the portal together. Their movements were stiff as they opened the door for the two.

“There is a tower in the back of the castle,” Queen Comet began. “It hasn’t been used in some time and is quite separate from the rest of the castle.”

“But I’m sure it would put the staff and knights at ease if I am as removed from daily life as possible,” Toffee offered. “I was fully prepared to spend my time in the dungeons for the next few hundred years, I will make do with a run down tower.”

The Queen only nodded as she guided him into the castle.

* * *

 To tower as it turned out over looked the gardens in a beautiful display. It didn’t quite compare to the stone titans carved into the mountain sides of his homeland but the soft beauty of the greenery was pleasing. The room itself was dilapidated with rotting wood and cracked masonry. The Queen was kind enough to replace the termite eaten furniture with new pieces. But the message was clear, she wanted to extend full hospitality but she didn’t in order to save face. The deal with the monsters was not a fully set thing and while the reforms where put into place in the Jaggy Mountains, both she and Toffee treaded thin ice.

Toffee strode to his new bed, soft and plush. A far cry from the sand pit he used to curl up in. Mewmen did love their comfort, especially the royals. Looking around he spied an empty bookshelf. He hummed and made the decision to find some books to fill the empty shelves.

Outside his door he found four knights standing guard. “Would it be allowed for me to go to the library?”

One of the knights nodded and they moved as one to guide him to his destination. What he found when he arrived was a variable labyrinth of shelves thirty feet tall. His claws traced the tittles and he hummed in thought. He ignored the histories, what was written was more than definitely skewed in Mewni’s favor. The classics intrigued him. Classic monster literature was filled with dramatic heroes that sacrificed themselves to save entire clans. He guessed mewman classics to be the other side of the coin, a brave hero who vanquishes a monster threat. That thought sapped his interest in the topic. Instead he gather a few texts on philosophy and scientific thought along with a military text or two. None of the knights raised an issue with what he took so he figured it was fine.

“Oh!” A gasp drew his attention to behind him.

Turning he found Princess Moon. Her crystal scepter clutched to her chest and eyes wide in shock. The lavander diamond cheek marks drew his eye and dredged up the memory of the shoulder guards that he once wore as a warlord, mewmen skulls with false cheek marks painted on.

“Does my presence offend you, Princess?” Toffee asked coldly. He expected it to be honest so might as well deal with it on day one.

“Oh, no,” the Princess said hastily, “I just didn’t expect to see you here.”

Toffee paused and made a show of looking around him, “the castle or the library?”

It was a loaded question and he knew it, which she choose would show which prejudice that she suffered.

“Oh, nothing of the sort,” the Princess said with a smile, calm and seemingly at ease. “I’m usually the only one in the library at this time so I’ve grown used to being alone. Ask any of the maids and they will tell you I’ve had the same reaction to them as I have with you.”

Toffee raised a single eyebrow in wonder of the statement.

“Oh, you’ve chosen Bolder Johansen’s Thoughts on Civilization,” the Princess beamed at the title in the middle of Toffee’s stack of books. “I find his ideals a little crude and unrefined but it is an excellent read if you have the taste for it.”

“Oh?” Toffee hummed. “In what way do you find his idea’s crude?”

“Well we mewmen came to this region by boat centuries ago so it can be argued that we left one civilization to make another,” the Princess began. She slotted her wand into a loop sewn onto the hip of her dress. “Before we arrived we don’t have any records of where we came from, not even a name for the land. As a result Bolder believes that we started from scratch but with a rough idea of how to go about it. I find it crude to believe that we completely abandoned the concept of our old civilization. Unrefined in his basic thinking of what exactly it means for something to be civilized. Take your monster clans for instance, to Bolder you would be at the starting stages of civilized society. No cornfields or great castles.”

“Its hard to grow corn on stone and the Jaggy mountains alone make an excellent fortress in of themselves,” Toffee supplied. “So you would consider us monsters to be civilized?”

“Any group capable of organization is a civilization,” the Princess said. “You have a trade network within you lands, you have laws and customs. Those, in my opinion, are what make a civilization. Not buildings or narrow agriculture.”

“You are far beyond what I expected from a mewman,” Toffee murmured.

“And you are beyond what I was taught of monsters,” the Princess said.

She plucked a book from a shelf and walked away. Leaving the septarian with much to ponder, just like an old wayward Queen.

* * *

 So that was Toffee. He was not like anything the history books said he was. He was supposed to be a savage and ruthless warlord bent on the eradication of all mewmen. But he was well spoken and intelligent. Princess Moon can tell that beneath it all some kind of ocean churned, it was like a storm that simmered in his eyes. Despite that he carried himself with the manners that even some of her mothers court lacked. Sure there was a loaded question at the start despite that she found the short conversation to be pleasant.

“How was your day sweetie?” Queen Comet asked over dinner that night.

“I ran into Toffee in the library,” Princess Moon informed her mother.

“Oh?” Moon’s father asked, “and what is your impression on him?”

“Extremely intelligent,” the Princess admitted. “If he put his mind to it I’m not sure there would be anything he couldn’t do. He had a stack of books on mewman philosophy, science, and some out dated military theory.”

“What did the two of you talk about?” The Queen asked her daughter.

“Bolder Johansen,” the Princess admitted. “From there we discussed our definitions of civilization and found agreement.”

“A monster talked philosophy?” The King gaped. “I didn’t think it possible.”

“I enjoyed talking to him,” Moon said. Pointedly ignoring her fathers jab. “I have a feeling I could learn a great many things from him.”

“Careful with what you listen to, monsters are horrid lair's,” the King said with a sneer.

“And mewmen are completely honest?” The Queen asked. “While I have no doubt there are monsters who lie, I highly doubt they are all cut from the same cloth.” The Queen sighed. “That said it would still be best if you limited your contact with him. He is here as a political hostage. While a guest, he is an uneasy one.”

“Yes, mother,” the Princess said with a nod. “I will try to limit out contact as best I am able. The castle is large and I’m sure it will be a rare occasion.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

In the garden of Butterfly Castle Toffee reclined on a sun warmed stone with the book by Bolder Johansen. As he read he couldn’t help but find himself agreeing with the Princess. The Johansen line has been known to produce marvelous hunters and warriors, but their thinkers are found lacking. The book is full of logical leaps and assumptions, along with dismissals of counter points out of hand with no argument. Not even three chapters in and Toffee found that he had waisted his time with the endeavorer of reading this much. Snapping the book shut he set it aside and took another from the stack he brought out with him. An agricultural text detailing ideal soil conditions for growing corn and how to maintain it.

Movement near by caught his attention. Soft foot steps on the stone path. He glanced in the direction and saw the Princess waving her scepter absently while muttering to herself. As she drew closer the words became clearer.

“Temparola,” softer murmurs that Toffee couldn’t hear fallowed.

“Practice spells, Princess?” Toffee asked.

“Wha!” Princess Moon sputtered and clutched her heart. “Please do not sneak up on me like that.”

“I am sitting still, Highness,” Toffee informed her, “have been for some time now.”

“Oh, right,” Moon coughed and straightened herself, “yes, of course.”

“You seem quite distracted,” Toffee pointed out. Pulling his attention back to his new book. “Something must be bothering you.”

“Well,” Moon hesitated. How much to tell him, he is a monster after all. “I am having some issue preforming a new spell I am working on.”

“Oh, and what does this spell do?” Toffee asked. “I spent some time researching the magic of Mewni Queens for some time, I may be of some help.”

“Its a spell to alter somethings age,” Moon offered. “It has three variants, Accasa to age up, Remremo to age down, and Nulforru to return to its natural state. I can’t seem to make it work.”

“From what I have been able to learn,” he paused as he turned a page, “it is the intent and image within the mind that is most important. Have you ever cast a spell with out uttering a single word or heard of it being done?”

The Princess went quiet as she retreated into thought. Sitting onto the same rock that Toffee reclined on. There was that one time when she was out with her father. They where in a ravine and a rock fell, it was about to crush her father. Before it could hit though a beam of pure force erupted from her wand and turned the boulder to dust. It was pure instinct and not a word of a spell left her lips.

“Once,” Moon whispered at the memory, it still made her blood run cold. “It was to save my fathers life.”

“Think of that moment,” Toffee offered. “That singular moment of the power of spelless magic. It was raw and unrefined. The image in your mind gives your magic form, the words a focus or medium to make it easier.”

Moon twisted her scepter in her hands. Her eyes fell on a small sapling for a tree that the gardener must have planted some time in the week. She pictured it fully grown and healthy, with wide branches holding a canopy of green leaves. “Temporalo Akkasa.”

With the words the crystal atop her scepter glowed in a soft yellow light. The beam flowed like honey, slow and deliberate towards the sapling. On contact the young plant was enveloped in a sphere of golden light. The light seeped into the small tree and it glowed. Slowly at first the tree started to grow. It rose and expanded. Soon what she pictured was before her, a thick trunk with wide branches that supported a canopy of green leaves.

“Amazing,” Toffee hummed. “I have only ever seen the Queens magic used to slay my brethren. I rarely spared a thought if it could ever been used for something like this.”

“Really?” Moon asked.

“To monsters like me the Queen and her magic is a tool of war and terror,” Toffee told her. “We used to use the threat of you to keep our children in line. I tried to curb it in hopes of making the integration into Mewni easier, but some still use it.”

“Are we truly so terrible to you?” Moon wondered.

“One of your ancestors was called the Monster Carver,” Toffee said tartly, “you tell me.”

* * *

 The Monster Carver, Queen Solaria.

Princess Moon never really thought about it, but after her talk with Toffee after he helped with her spell it was stuck in her mind. Rattling around like a noisy knat when she needed to focus. She looked up the official history and found that the old Queen supposedly held off a horde of monster form invading Mewni single handedly when she was twenty, a year her senior. Seemed odd though, from what she learned from the reports from the new monster dukedom the monsters from three hundred years past never had a fighting force like it was described. There where some raiding bands, but never an organized army until Toffee. And that was well after Solaria got her epitaph

“I feel like our history books are incorrect,” the Princess told her tutor one day. “Especially Solaria.”

“How so?” The tutor asked.

“Population reports from the dukedom,” she began. “Along with the records of food and trade from back in Solaria’s time. Most of the monster population would have been devoted to sustenance hunting, gathering, and farming where they were able. There is nothing to suggest that they had the forces described in our records.”

“Monster lies,” the tutor offered shortly.

“From over a hundred separate sources?” The Princess challenged. “If it was one or two I could accept it as a lie. But three hundred different reports, from rival monster factions.”

“What are you suggesting here Princess, that all out history is a lie?” The tutor asked. While she always encouraged a healthy debate this felt trying.

“No, that it was skewed to favor us, at first…” Princess Moon trailed off. “And then to cover up.”

“Enough! That monster has clearly corrupted you,” the tutor seethed. “I will need to have a word with the queen about this.”

* * *

 “I am well aware of this,” the Queen informed her daughters tutor.

“Of the monsters corruption of your daughter?” she asked.

“No,” the Queen shook her head. “Of the inaccuracies of our history, or at least some. Toffee was actually a witness to Solaria. It wasn’t an army she fought, in fact most of them… most of them where children. Innocent hunters in the Forest of Certain Death.”

“Lies!” The tutor hissed. “It must be lies! Has the monster twisted you as well?”

“You are treading close to treason!” The King bellowed as he slammed his staff on the ground. “I think you might be unfit to tutor our daughter if just one challenge to your belief like this has brought you to such a state.”

“I agree,” the Queen sighed. “You are relieved of your duties.”

“But-,” the tutor began.

“Escort her out,” the Queen ordered.

* * *

 The firing of the tutor spread through the castle, and the town by extension, like wildfire. Some blamed the monster Toffee for manipulating the royals against a loyal servant. Word of this reached Toffee of course, it did raise an eyebrow but it was still with in his expectations. His presence was meant to be a catalyst to make everyone question their prejudice of his kind. So servants loosing their position and in fighting between nobles was expected.

“You seem happy,” Queen Comet commented as she entered the septarians chambers. “All according to plan?”

“A little behind schedule actually,” Toffee admitted. “I expected a few servants to quit outright instead of serving a monster like me. But the first to leave the castle was the Princesses tutor, and not of her own accord either.”

“So you planed on people quitting before I started to relieve them of positions?” The Queen asked.

“Yes,” Toffee hummed and finally turned to look at the queen.

He crossed his room and sat on a chair and offered the couch to the Queen. With booth of them seated he poured them booth a cup of tea.

“I will admit that I underestimated mewman stubbornness,” Toffee told her.

“I think of it more as duty,” the Queen offered.

“Stubbornness to abandon ones duty is still stubbornness,” Toffee explained.

“Does it change your plans much?” The Queen asked and sipped her tea.

“Maybe, I am debating adding a decade or maybe a generation.”

“Your interactions with my daughter,” the Queen broached the subject of her daughter finally.

“Never my intention,” Toffee said as he held up a hand. “I intended to be a silent example of what monster truly are. I never expect to talk to her.”

“Or help her with magic?” The Queen challenged.

“It was a spur of the moment thing,” Toffee offered with a shrug. “I didn’t see it altering my plans and she is a good conversationalist.”

The Queen smiled and chuckled at that. The Princess was stubborn and quietly wild with passive rebellion. Reading ahead or skipping subjects that she thought unimportant. Smiling and playing the part of the good and obedient Princess all while doing everything her own way regardless of the guidance of her mother. She preferred the act of trial and error than the guidance of those more experienced. Which made the help she accepted from Toffee all the more befalling to the Queen.

“How did you manage it?” The Queen asked. “Every time I offered my experience she smiles and listens but does it her own way regardless.”

“I gave her a nudge,” Toffee explained, “nothing more, nothing less.”


	5. Chapter 5

“There you are!” The gruff voice of Rhombulus cut through the peaceful atmosphere of the garden.

Toffee let out a sigh and looked up from his book to see the strange creature. From his usual perch on a sun warmed stone he raised an eyebrow at him. What ever could this imbecile want?

“Why yes, you found me,” every word dripped with sarcasm. “Its not like I was hiding or running. I’m here every day. Now what do you want, I’m busy.”

“Your here every day? Reading?” Rhombulus visibly shuddered at the last word. “Heh, never mind! I’m here to see if you’re evil!”

“How?” Toffee went back to reading his book. He won’t need his full attention to talk circles around this moron.

“My gut, thats how!” One of his snake-hands patted a set of overly defined abs. “Now lets see here…”

“First, what is evil?” Toffee asked.

“What?” Rhombulus asked.

“Evil, what is it?” Toffee deliberately turned a page. “What is the definition of evil?”

“Some one who is a threat!” Rhombulus sneered.

“To what?” Toffee flipped a page.

“Er, everything!” Rhombulus said triumphantly, like he won the argument.

“So someone or something that is a threat to a child but not a building is not evil?” Toffee asked.

“No, they’re evil,” he corrected.

“But not according to the definition you just gave,” Toffee pointed out. “You said a threat to everything, there for it not being a threat to a building excludes it from being evil.”

“Evil people do bad things,” Rhombulus pointed out, “hurting kids is a bad thing. So he’s evil.”

“So the definition of evil is to do bad things? Not to be a threat?” Toffee asked. “Then what are bad things?” He added air quotes around the word ‘bad’.

“Things that are bad!” Rhobulus sneered.

“So Queen Solaria was evil then,” Toffee offered. “She killed monster children, killing children is bad, she did a bad thing, there for evil.”

“What! No!” Rhombulus bristled, “wait, she did that?”

“Watched it with my own eyes,” Toffee told him. “So what does your gut say now?”

“Uh, its telling me to think,” Rhombulus said. He turned around and walked out of the garden.

Toffee hummed in satisfaction for his victory over the commission’s muscle brained enforcer and warden. But a slight feeling told him it wasn’t over.

* * *

 

“Evil guy!” Rhombulus kicked down the doors to Toffee’s chambers. The large wooden doors slamming to the ground.

In the room Toffee sat at his dining table eating his lunch, cornbread with cream corn and sered corn on the cob, and some kind of bird creature baked and stuffed with corn. He looked at the mess with a mild glare of annoyance.

“It wasn’t locked,” Toffee told him

“Oh, sorry,” Rhombulus apologized and rubbed the back of his head.

“Its fine,” Toffee sighed and took a bite our of a hunk of corn bread. When he spoke again sarcasm dripping from every word, “I’m sure Queen Comet will love replacing it. It was just a three hundred year old antique, but new is always better.”

“Uh, I’m in trouble aren’t I?” Rhombulus asked.

“If I were you I would save some time and go and sit in your time out corner,” Toffee said and then turned his attention to the knights. “Would one of you be so kind as to inform the Queen of these happenings?”

One knight nodded and walked off. Rhombulus fallowed shortly after looking crestfallen.

* * *

 

A loud argument that was quickly on its way to becoming a shouting match disturbed Princess Moon from her self study. Looking up from her book and notes she looked towards her door. With a last look at her study materials she sighed. No way could she focus with all that going on near by.

Standing she made her way to her door and pressed her ear to the wooden serface. It sounded like the members of the Commission and her mother. The voices where mumbled through the wood so she couldn’t quite tell what they where saying. Cracking the door the voices became clear.

“I don’t care, Rombulus,” her mother sighed. “You damaged a three hundred year old piece of art and history. What in the world posses you to kick down the door?”

“I got over excited,” Rombulus said while looking down and rubbed one arm with another. “I got over excited.”

“Hey, ease up Queenie,” Hekapoo admonished, “he was just doing his job.”

“Oh?” The Queen asked dramatically as she raised an eye brow, “breaking and entering the quarters assigned to a royal guest? One who's well being is counter point to peace between Mewni and the Monster Dukedom? Am I or am I not the Chairman of the Commission?”

“Bahahaha!” Lekmet interjected.

“He says you are,” Rombulus translated, still looking dower.

“Then,” Comet drew out the word, “why was I not consulted in this endeavor of yours?”

“I, uh…” Rombulus sputtered. “Its my job, I always judge whether or not some one was evil and then crystallize them. I didn’t think I needed to ask.”

“Rombulus…” Comet sighed and pressed her fingers to her temple. “It is your job, however their is a treaty protecting him from anything that would hamper his well being. The only exception would be if the Dukedom violated the treaty. Do you understand? He isn’t just a monster, he is a monster that is working towards peace more earnestly than any Butterfly, after Eclipsa. He is the reason there has been no organized attack on Mewni in nearly a hundred years. He is the reason that the border no longer needs to worry about an attack. He is our best and only hope for a lasting peace. So from now on any and all interactions between Toffee and the Commission that is not initiated by him must be approved by me. And that is final.”

Princess Moon’s eyes widened as she over heard the exchange. She wasn’t used to her mother using the Queen voice. She preferred to talk things out than to issue orders or decrees. But peaking through the crack of the door she saw the members of the commission bowing to her, each murmuring their consent to her order. Each then opening their own portal and leaving her mother to sigh alone in the corridor.

Her mother leaned heavily on the wall and rested her face on her hands, “did we interrupt your studying?”

The sudden attention on her made Moon jump slightly. Sheepishly she opened the door and rubbed the back of her neck. “I didn’t mean to spy.”

Her mother looked up with a smile, “it’s quite alright dear, I should have realized that we where outside your door before I started this.”

Rubbing the back of her neck and not meeting her mothers eyes she asked, “so what are you going to do now. I’m sure you want to apologize.”

“More of a matter of need to, sweetie.”

“I haven’t known Toffee long but I’m sure he would brush it off and say it was expected.”

“Oh, he is going to say that with out a doubt. But he is still a guest and I must at least go through the motions.” Her mother paused and regarded her daughter.

Moon finally met her mothers eyes and noted the udder tiredness that blanketed her face. Even her make up did little to hide the dark bags under her eyes or the lines beginning to form on her forehead from worry.

“Something else is bothering you,” Moon pointed out.

Her mother chuckled and shook her head, “should have known that you would figure that out. Its the managing of the Dukedom. Everyone I think of assigning to the position turns out to have some kind of prejudice towards monsters. I’ve been managing it myself for the time being…”

“But you also have the kingdom to run,” Moon pointed out.

With a sigh the Queen nodded. She then looked at her daughter again as if sizing her up, the corner of her mouth turning up slightly. “Here’s an idea. It would be good practice for when you take the throne too.”  
“What?”

“Managing the matters between Mewni and the Dukedom,” the Queen said with a twinkle in her eye. She straightened and clapped her hands with a smile, “yes, thats perfect. You are showing a great interest in our relations to the new vassal and have already begun to question matters involving us and monsters. Perfect!”

“Uh,” was all that Moon managed.

“I’ll go and handle to official side of things for your new job,” her mother said with a victorious smile, “why don’t you go and extend my apology to Toffee for the Rombulus matter and also inform him of you position. I’m sure he would like to hear who has finally taken the job off my hands.”

With out another word Queen Comet turned on her heel and strode down the hall. Leaving a slightly bemused Princess Moon in her wake. There where times, as Moon was beginning to realize, that her mother was like a rolling storm and the best thing you can do is just to roll with it. So with a deep breath Moon began to head towards Toffee’s chambers.

* * *

 

Knocking on the now empty door frame of Toffee’s chambers she peered in and found the monster in question reclining on the frame of an open window. Tail idle flicking back and forth as he read in the sunlight.  
Toffee looked up from his book at the noise, “greetings, Princess. Come in.”

“Hello, Toffee,” Princess Moon said as she entered. “I’ve come to extend my mothers apology for Rombulus’ behavior.”

Toffee raised an eyebrow, “oh?”

“She would have come to deliver it personally, but-”

“She is managing both Mewni and the relations to my homeland.”

“That's actually also why I came here,” Moon said and cleared her throat. “My mother has saw it fit to assign me the position of looking after the matters between Mewni and the Dukedom.”

Toffee hummed and looked at her blankly. After a moment he said, “I suppose it would be good practice for when you took the throne.”

“My mothers thoughts on the matter as well,” Moon said and was unable to suppress the smile at how similarly the two thought.

“Is that all?” It wasn’t rude or even short, more like expectant. Like he expected something more.

“I would,” Moon paused, thinking herself being too forward. “I would like to learn more of monster culture. In order to better the relations. I wouldn’t want to accidentally insult some one and make a set back of it.”

This made the sptarian put down his book and sit upright. He regarded her with an appraising eye. If Moon didn’t know any better his actions my have been read as surprise or shock.

With the traces of a smothered victorious smile he said, “vary well, shall we start now?”

“If you are not too busy.”

“I do nothing but read,” he offered, “I’m always looking for something better to do with my time.


	6. Chapter 6

Moon was not expecting the sheer volume of work that managing relations with the Dukedom would entail. She now understood why her mother looked so tired the other day. Involved where the patrol assignments for the knights to act as border guards. There where the tariffs and taxes that fell into her purview. Then there was the construction of a road network between the two.

Moon looked around her new office with a tight expression. Some where under all these papers, books, scrolls, and boxes in here was a desk and chair. Everything was neat but the stacks where just so tall that she couldn’t even see the walls. With a heavy sigh Moon rolled up her sleeves and marched in.

Hours later Moon made a dent in the reading material and even managed to sign off on a few documents that needed her approval while amending several others. Who ever came up with the tariffs and taxes for monster goods obviously had an ax to grind. But a knock on her door interrupted her as she read over a mineral report on the Jaggy Mountains.

“Enter,” she called out and went back to reading.

“Your Highness,” a servant entered and bowed, “the Queen would like to know if you will be making it to lunch.”

“Is it lunch already?” Moon asked absently. She thought for a moment and glanced at all the work she still had to do. “No, I’m afraid I need to catch up with a few weeks of work here, I might not make family meals for some time. Can you bring me something light to eat, please?”

“At once.”

The servant bowed and left her alone with her mountain of work.

* * *

A week. It took Moon a week of non-stop work to get through half of everything. The reading material that she managed to get through found its way to the book shelves that where hidden behind boxes. The signed and amended papers handed of to a footman to deliver where ever it was needed. Her meals usual consisted of corn sandwiches and other things that she could nibble on with one hand.

Too be honest Moon quite enjoyed to work. The noticeable dents in the mountain of everything helped her keep up her spirits.

A knock at the door didn’t even budge her attention and she called out for them to enter on reflex.

“My,” came a calm voice as the door opened, “that is quite the bit of work.”

“It was worse a week ago,” Moon said and then finally looked up to see Toffee. “Oh, hello. Is there something I can help you with?”

“You said you wanted me to teach you monster culture. You have not come by after the first time so I began to wounder if you where serious or if something was keeping you.”

Moon gestured to the stack of boxes and papers to her left, “well, something has been keeping me.”

“If now is a bad time, I can come back or even wait until you are fee. We immortals are quite patient.”

Moon took a deep breath and thought for a moment. She was kind of burning her candle at both ends. A break from reading and signing and more reading and amending could be a good thing. So she put down the report she was reading and looked around.

“I think there is another chair some where under all of this,” Moon sighed.

“For what I have in mind it might be best if we go else where,” Toffee told her. “I wanted to teach you a common greeting ceremony.”

“Vary well,” Moon accented and stood. “I’ve been staring at nothing but these walls for a week.”

With that she fallowed him to the garden and to the rock that she’s seen him perch on so often.

“First thing to know about monsters is that we all belong to a clan,” Toffee began. “The clan is not our race, my clan is the Septarsis. We’re a warrior clan and though we are mostly septarians there are some others. The rare exception to this are the size shifters, they don’t join other clans and don’t like others joining theirs.

“Meetings between clans usual starts with a challenge. The one who goes through the effort of either setting up the meeting or going to the other clan has the right to challenge. The challenge can be anything from a fight to a bored game. So Princess, since you made the effort of asking me to teach you the culture of my kind I will allow you to pick the challenge.”

“Then a fight,” the Princess said eagerly. Twisting her neck and cracking it she continued, “I haven’t had a good sparring partner in ages. The rules are simple, we fight for five minutes, no intent to kill, the winner will be decided on a point system. A blow to the body or head is worth a single point, drop your opponent and you get two, lock them in a hold for more then eight seconds and you win automatically. Sound good?”

“Weapons or magic?” Toffee asked walking back to put several feet between them

“No weapons, but it wouldn’t be a fare fight with out my magic. But I won’t use my scepter, deal?”

“Deal.”

“Start.”

Toffee’s tail hit the ground and he vaulted forward and already landed a light blow on Moon’s stomach before could react.

Moon then responded by using magic to fling herself back to gain some distance. She then sent out a pulse of energy that hit and then snared his arm. The magic beam transformed into a stick substance and then latched on to his other arm. The goo snapped together and bound his arms together. Moon then fired a few beams of pure force.

  
Toffee hummed in thought as he weaved between the blasts with a bored expression. Seeing an opening he bolted forward again and spun. Leading his tail to coil around the Princess’ arm. He slipped behind her and twisted her arm behind her back with just enough force to hold her there.

“Ah, you win you win,” the Princess folded.

“You forgot I had a tail,” Toffee commented as he released her. The magic binding his arms together dissipated at the same time.

Turning, Moon looked the sptarian in the eye. Irritated that he was so much taller than her, “no I didn’t.”

“The look of surprise on you face said other wise,” Toffee said with a wide, open mouth grin. His sharp white teeth on full display could easily be taking as menacing or threatening but it only drew a giggle from the Princess.

“Okay, maybe I forgot about the tail. How fast you moved took me by surprise, people as large as you usually can’t do that.”

Toffee went silent and stared at the Princess for a long moment. Pitch black iris bore into her as if she was a puzzle that was missing a crucial piece.

Not braking eye contact Moon began to get worried at his silence, “is something wrong?”

“You called me a person,” was all he said.

“Is that an issue?” Moon asked.

Again Toffee went silent. The same quizzical look in his cold black eyes. After another moment he turned and began to walk away, “I believe that is enough for today. Come find me if you have any questions on monster culture.”

* * *

Rumor of the Princess’ sparring session with Toffee was the talk of the castle. Most where concerned over the sptarian’s ability to easily out pace the Princess. Some where angry that the monster would raise a hand against royalty. In it all Toffee found that the servants pension for gossip interesting to say the least. So far he has heard seven different versions of the dual, and it has only been a few hours.

How to go about it thought?

It was difficult for Toffee to focus on his plans after what the Princess let slip. People as big as him. People. She saw him as a person and not a monster. It felt almost as if a shard of his identity broke away. He has always been a monster and was only ever treated as something else by other monsters. Now here was a mewman talking of him like he wasn’t a seven foot tall lizard with claws and fangs. It bothered him to be honest. But he settle that thought with another, his plan might be working faster than he thought. Especially if the Princess of Mewni is treating him as if he was an equal.

So deep in his thoughts he didn’t realize that he hadn’t actually read the page of his book for the last ten minutes. Nor did he notice a short mewman standing at his still empty door frame, a door large enough for it needed to be made from scratch so it would take some more time. The mewman was dressed in court attire and was distinctly no a Butterfly or one of their servants.

“Can I help you?” Toffee asked as he closed his book, no need to pretend that he retained anything from it.

“You’re Toffee?” The mewman asked and Toffee nodded. “I’m River Johansen.”

“The Second Prince.”

“Yes, I heard of your fight with Princess Moon.”

“A sparring match that was her idea,” Toffee corrected. “She wanted to know of monster culture and issued a challenge, I accepted and won.”

“Oh, um, then never mind.”

River suddenly turned on his heel and walked away. Leaving Toffee to regard him as a strange fellow.

* * *

Moon sat in her office and chewed on a pen as she reread the same sentence on a proposal for the tenth time. Her mind was a a churning sea of thoughts that all seemed to circle around to the same question. Did I offend him? Was she not supposed to call him a person, was a monster the right thing to call him. But try as she might attaching the word monster to Toffee felt a little off. Not completely though as he even calls himself a monster. She could even use it to refer to him in the general sense. Calling him that to his face felt rude however so she called him a person. But it seemed to be the wrong thing to do because what little openness he had shown snapped shut in a moment.

“How do I apologize, should I apologize?” Moon mumbled as she tossed the proposal aside and leaned back in her chair.

How do monsters apologize? If she asked Toffee right now it would be far too obvious. Then again, since he showed her how monsters greet each other why couldn’t she do the same by showing him how people of Mewni apologize. No. Better not to over step her boundaries.


	7. Chapter 7

The days turned to weeks turned to months. Toffee had seemingly become a fixture of Butterfly Castle. Still an uneasy guest he was regarded with a lesser caution from the castle staff. The royal family, namely Comet and Moon, treated as a cautious friend with the Princess seeking him out at least once a week to delve into the nuances of monster culture. Even with this development Toffee was still quite surprised but the message delivered.

“I’m what?” Toffee asked the footman.

“You are invited to the Mewnipendance Day feast,” the footman repeated, “as royal guest by extension of Princess Moon.”

Toffee grew silent as the air around him seemed to crackle. How should he interpret this? An insult? A slight to remind him of his place? An innocent mistake? All the ways he could spin this in his mind was getting him no where. The Princess, as he had learned through his time here, has a mind like an enigma. Tumultuous and unsteady, shifting like sand yet as stubbornly hard as granite. It will need to be addressed head on.

“You may go,” Toffee said and waved off the footman.

“Uh, your response?”

“As it turns out I must have a word with the Princess, so I will deliver my response myself at the same time.”

Toffee stood and strode past the poor footman. Urging himself calm on the walk to the Princess’ office was trivial and was actually a well practiced skill. So when he knocked on the door no one could read his thoughts.

“You’re mad,” was the first thing the Princess said as he entered. “Did I do something to offend you?”

He nearly missed a step at how easy she read him. She had been getting disturbingly good at doing that over the moths.

“Mewnipendance Day?” Toffee said shortly. “Better known to me as the Monster Massacre. Not a massacre, the massacre. And you invited me to celebrate it?”

“Oh, you haven’t heard?” Moon beamed at him. “Mother made quite a few changes to this years celebration. No battle reenactment. She invited diplomats from the Dukedom and plans to make an apology on how our peoples first met and have a shared feast of monster and mewmen delicacies.”

Toffee found himself conflicted at the news. The apology is a head of his planned schedule, a decade ahead. Even the cancellation of the reenactment was a few years sooner than he thought. Toffee figured the pressure to maintain the norm regardless of the new status of monsters would force the queens hand. The defiance felt almost out of place from the Queen called the Chef. Is he complaining. Should he complain.

“Its too soon,” he murmured. “The potential backlash from such a forced change could spark dissidence.”

“You’re not happy about it?”

“Whether I am happy with these events are irrelevant,” Toffee sighed. Pinching the space between his eyebrows he sat down in a chair opposite of Moons desk. “If you bend a stick too quickly it snaps. The same happens with people and change, monster and mewman.”

“You have a marvelous understanding of the theory of psychology, Toffee. But sometimes the bandage just needs to be ripped off for the healing to begin. Because some times, there just isn’t the right moment to act.” Moon took a breath and looked Toffee in the eyes. “We aren’t immortal like you.”

Toffee sighed. She made sense, a lot of sense.

Maybe, just maybe, he got a little lost in his own plan. Steps and procedures with amendments. It worked for him with the monsters. But then again he knew monsters best. Maybe he should lean more on the mewmen when it came to the mewmen part of his plan.

“Vary well,” Toffee hummed as he scratched his chin. “You are far more the expert with mewman than I am. I should have left this part of my plan to you and the Queen, you do know your people best.”

Moon laughed and shook her head, “for someone who wants to unify the monsters and mewmen you are keeping us awfully separate. I’m say we work together from here on out.”

Toffee rose a single eye brow at that, “together?”

If it was any other mewman, any other person, then Toffee would believe that he was being fooled or set up. But the Princess, he found, had a streak of sincerity. He would always take the some ones word with a kernel of corn but we was willing to extend some faith towards the future Queen.

* * *

 

Moon looked over the the main hall as servants darted around setting tables and hanging decorations. Dozens of tables with places set and corn themed center pieces. Normally it would be her mother keeping watch over the set up for Mewnipendance Day but seeing as this would be the first celebration with the new Archduke and their entourage so Moon was put in charge.

“How is everything coming along my lady?”

Moon looked to the side and saw River Johansen walk up to her.

“I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel like I’m pulled in six directions at once. Now I see why my mother was so willing to let me plan this.” The smile that moon took on seemed slightly bitter as she watched her own personal controlled chaos.

“It would seem that you might need a brake,” River offered.

Taking a deep breath and then letting out as a slow sigh Moon leaned her head back and then turned to face the short Prince. “You know what? I think you’re right, the last two days have been a bit much. And I think that the servants can manage a few minutes with out me. Care to accompany me on a walk through the gardens?”

“It would be my pleasure, Princess.” River gave a slight bow and then fallowed the Princess out of the hall.

They remained silent as they weaved their way through the castle halls. River thinking about what to talk about.

When they finally exited into the garden Princess Moon hurried a few steps ahead. Leaning her head back she breathed in deeply and sighed.

“You’re awfully fond of the gardens of late, Princess,” Prince River said.

“I do find myself out here during my free time, yes.”

“Toffee as well.”

“Yes, in my free time I have been learning the ways of the Clans.”

“The Clans?”

“Its how they refer to themselves, the monsters. I have been learning their customs in an effort to better unify our peoples.”

“The monsters? Is that wise?”

Moon turned to look at River with a confused look and he immediately realized how he miss stepped.

“That is the entire reason for him being here,” she said with a touch of annoyance. “The best chance of a lasting peace between the mewman and the Clans is to become one. Other wise the tension will just grow again until we’re at each other throats again.”

“Forgive how I spoke, a life time of Johansen warrior teachings. It’s hard to go against a life time of learning.”

Moon sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, “no forgive me. I should have expected an response like that. It’s what we’re fighting against.”

“We?”

“My mother, me, Toffee, and who ever is working within the Dukedom towards the same goal.”

River sighed and wondered how this conversation sent so far off the course he wanted, “Is that why the Queen has put you in charge of the Mewnipendance day celebration?”

The princess offered an amused half smile, “one of them, yes. The other is practice, a banquet is far easier to organize than a kingdom.”

River cleared his throat and gathered is courage, “do you have anyone accompanying you to the banquet?”

“Yes I offered an invitation to Toffee and he accepted,” Moon said, her smile growing slightly. “I figured that her wouldn’t show otherwise.”

River did his best to hide the disappointment and turned his attention to a Snapping Rose bush. Tiny teeth in the middle of the petals just waiting for an unwitting bee to land.

“So, it’s for political reasons?”

The Princesses silence was deafening.

River saw plump, round bumble bee buzzing around the bush, trying to decide if it was safe or not. It must have thought it was because it was drifting closer to one of the blooms.

“I would be lying if I said that was the only reason,” the Princess murmured.

The bee landed on one of the flowers. Scuttling forward and testing each petal with dainty taps of its forelimbs, one missing a part so it was obviously experienced with the plant.

“Truly?” River hummed absently.

The bee reached the center of the flower, testing the pad to see if it was safe to go for the nectar that was its goal.

“I do enjoy his company,” Moon sighed slightly.

River chanced a glance at the Princess and saw her smiling earnestly and a touch of color to her cheeks. Snapping his eyes back to the bee and flower he saw the plump insect beginning to drink the nectar.

“He’s not like most people,” Moon continued

The bee scuttled in a circle to get a better angle at its target.

“Calling him a person was the first time I saw him flustered. He’s usually so calm and reserved. Honest too, oh he can spin anything to sound like a compliment but he doesn’t lie, at least that I can tell.”

The bee continued to drink, perhaps the flower wants to be pollinated more than it wants a meal.

“You sound awfully fond of him,” River said with a calmness that surprised him.

The Princess giggled slightly and said, “do I?”

“Yes, some might even say vary.”

River watched as the teeth of the Snapping Rose snapped closed around the bee. Feeling sad for the poor insect River looked away and looked at Moon. The princess had her hands on her cheeks and most of her face and neck was colored a lovely shade of pink.

“I guess they might,” she almost whispered.


	8. Chapter 8

Toffee stood staring at his old armor. Black steal weave with some kind of red trim that he never learned what it was made from. But what drew his eye - and surely every other eye if he wore it - where the mewman skulls that had cheek marks dyed on.

He could wear mewman clothes for the event. But his sister, the Archduchess, will be there with an entourage of others from the clans. He is of the clans, he is a monster, so he is going to be expect to dress like it. His love of suits was tolerated by his people so long as when it mattered he showed that he was on their side.

The answer to his dilemma is simple, he needs new skulls. Some fearsome creature needs to be hunted and killed for their skulls to replace the mewman ones.

* * *

“You wish to go on a hunt?” Queen Comet asked for clarification.

“Less a matter of want but need, actually,” Toffee corrected. “I will be expected to wear my regalia from when I was a warlord. The key feature to such attire in my culture are skulls from fearsome or difficult to kill creatures. For instance the Avarius heirloom is a septarian skull. Well earned from what I hear.”

“And you’re fine with one of your kinds remains being used as trophy?”

“Why would I not? Septarians are extremely hard to kill and anyone who manages to make a death permanent through combat deserves our skull. I assure you my Queen that if you or anyone managed to kill me out right I fully expect my skull to be passed down in you family in a similar fashion to your wand.”

“Vary well, you may go and hunt. But I expect you to be here when the Dukedoms party arrives.”

“I would be considered a coward if I wasn’t. Now, do I require an escort?”

“I do think my Moon would love to see a mon- Clanfolk hunt, she is quite taken with the insights of your culture.”

“Of that I have no doubt,” Toffee said with a slight bow and then left the Queens presences.

“And if I know my daughter in any measure its not just the lessons,” Comet murmured.

* * *

The corner of Moons lips quirked up slightly. A faint and nearly silent sound was detectable in the moments between the shuffling of her papers and scratching of her quill. It was Toffee, waiting to see how long it would take the Princess to notice him.

There lessons have included basic Septarsis training for some time now. Detected the undetectable, was one such lesson. As well as being the undetectable.

“You’ve been there for the past three minutes say something or leave, you’re destructing me,” Moon called out into the empty room.

“I am going on a hunt,” Toffee’s voice slithered from one of the shadows in the corner farthest from the door, “you’re mother recommended that you might enjoy observing.”

“A hunt?” Moon smiled and swiveled in her chair to look at him. “What kind?”

“A status hunt. The centerpieces of my regalia are mewman skulls, poor taste to wear to mewnipendance day.”

“I’m in!” Moons smile widened and her eyes gleamed with excitement.

Suddenly the door to Moons office was kicked in half and reveled a vary twitchy Mina Loveberry, “hold up! There is no way in the name of corn that I’m ganna let you and a stinking monster be a lone out in the wilderness Princess! In the castle I can tolerate it because of the security but not any where else.”

“Mina! That door was an original Barthran! Made of Wondering Mahogany from the Key Crafter Dimension! It cost your weight in pure gold!” Moon snapped.

“Not important!”

“No! Vary important! You could have opened it, it wasn’t even locked!”

Mina waved off the Princess’ concerns, “I have the money to replace it, don’t worry.”

“Barthran died two hundred years ago Mina, there is no replacing it,” the Princess seethed.

“As fascinating as this spat between you two is I must be going if I wish to make my sisters arrival tomorrow,” Toffee interjected.

“Fine,” Moon huffed in annoyance, “I’ll have Mina’s pay docked for the damages and get a replacement door. I need to change into something a bit more appropriate for the underbrush, I shouldn’t be more than a few minutes.”  
Moon then marched out of her office muttering to herself, “what’s with everyone and breaking priceless antique doors?”

“I see what you’re doing monster,” Mina hissed as soon as Moon was out of earshot.

Toffee’s responce was to raise a brow and look at her quizzically.

“Lulling us all into a false sense of security, leading us all into a trap. Well its not working on me. I’m watching you.”

Mina backed out of the room while pointing at her eyes and then at Toffee.

“Something is terribly wrong with that woman,” Toffee muttered and shook his head as he too now left the empty office only to be stopped by River, “it seems everyone wishes to speak with me today, yes?”

“I heard you and the Princess are going hunting,” the short Prince stated.

“I’m hunting, she’s observing, and Mina appears to be spying.”

“I was wondering I may accupany you.”

“Vary well but hurry if you’re going to change, we leave the moment the Princess is finished changing.”

* * *

It took Moon ten minutes to change. She now wore a dark blue tunic with a fur collar with black trousers tucked into high top hide boots. Her long hair in a thick Brade wrapped in leather strips. Her wand tucked into a metal ring on a belt.

River just wore a loincloth.

“The difference between Johansen and Butterfly idea’s of hunting attire is astounding,” Toffee pondered.

“Is this your regalia?” Moon asked.

“Yes,” Toffee said with a nod. Lifting a hand brush off his now bare shoulders. “I aim to hunt a Hydracore.”

“Aren’t they unkillable?” River asked.

“Yes, so hunt in this case means to harvest,” Toffee corrected himself.

Just then a castle servant approached with a large case. Snapping it open they offered the contents to Toffee. He then hefted out a large sickle the length of his body.

“And what is that?” Mina barked.

“Blood Fang,” Toffee answered, “my weapon. You don’t expect me to hunt with claws and teeth do you?”

“Yes!”

“How uncivilized,” Toffee scoffed and then turned back tot he servant, “a portal to the Realm of Pain and Torment.”

The servant gulped and bowed slightly. Pulling out their Dimensional Scissors they ripped a whole in reality. The portal a vortex of blood red and sickly green. “Have an exultant hunt Ser Toffee.”

There it was again. Lately the guards and staff have been referring to Toffee as a Ser. It seemed to be a slip of the tongue with how infrequent it is. But still noticeable none the less. Judging by how Mina bristled Toffee wasn’t the only off put by it.

Deciding to ignore it for the dozenth time Toffee walked through the portal.

The Realm of Pain and Torment. River had only heard the stories of Johansen Hunters who dared to brave this dimension. They often returned mad, or madder, if they returned at all. The air burned if you breathed too deeply. The trees had vines that ended in mouths filled with venomous fangs. Everything was poisonous if eaten. Every animal was an omnivore that preferred fauna to flora. It was his dream to one day hunt here and here he is standing in a loincloth with a wood and stone spear brimming with excitement.

“Real in your eagerness Prince,” Toffee chided. “If you’re too eager you will attract Glory Hounds. I arrived with three of you and I intend to return with the important ones.”

Toffee cast a glare at Mina before turning to examine the ground.

“Do you know where we are?” Moon rested her hands on her knees to look at what Toffee was examining.

“Some where in the Lower Pains,” Toffee explained, “expect sharp things that shouldn’t be sharp. Plants that will make you itch and bloat. Nothing that will kill you out right but you will suffer for days before your heart will give up.” Toffee looked over to River, “I would have worn shoes if I were you, Prince.”

“Oh its fine, my feet are mostly callouses anyway.”

To emphasize his point River stabbed the bottom of his foot with his spear. The tip sank into his food nearly half an inch and he showed no response to it.

“Quite,” Toffee hummed and turned away, “Hydracores live in the Highlands of Suffering, we head north. If you see something, kill it before it kills your. Oh, and Princess?”

“Yes?”

“There are various creatures here that are attracted to magic, so no spells.”

“How do you know this?”

“I once used them to fight Solaria,” Toffee said plainly, “and then kill her.”

Ever since River met the septarian his skin easily crawled in his presence. But for the first time he felt a shivering cold fall down his spine. He nearly forgot that this was the Lizard, the Immortal Monster that with a small army put Mewni on the back foot. Who killed dozens of Johansen warriors and hunters. Who killed Queen Solaria the Monster Carver. He almost forgot that Toffee was a Monster but that simple line served as a potent reminder. But even still her thought of him as something that might become a friend if treated right.

After all that was three hundred years ago, right?

* * *

 


	9. Chapter 9

Finding that Hydracore turned out to be the easy part. The lumbering beast was half the size of Butterfly Castle. The one they found had nine slithering snake-like necks that ended in long, narrow heads with fangs that dripped venom. Each head had a single bulbous eye with an X shaped pupil. The body was like a turtle with out the shell and the necks sprouting from the back.

“That thing is hideous,” Moon murmured as it came into view.

“And deadly,” River pointed out with a gulp.

“To succeed in this all that is needed are two of its heads,” Toffee informed them. “Stay here.”

Couching down Toffee began to move on all fours, his tail curling slightly. His skin shimmered and scales grew. The knife-like leaves now brushed off of him.

Moon and River watched him disappear into the underbrush and towards the Hydracore.

“So we’re just going to let him go after that thing alone?” River asked after a moment.

“We would be insulting him if we did other wise,” Moon said.  
Moon started to chew on her lip. He’ll be fine, she thought to herself, he’s been here before and was skilled enough to capture to capture some of these horrors alive to use as war-beasts. She shouldn’t have to worry, she isn’t worrying at all. He’s immortal on top of everything else, right.

Moon took out her dimensional scissor and opened a portal to the Castle Armory and stuck her head in.

“I need a war-sickle,” she told a startled guard. “Now!”

The guard did a quick bow and ran off only to return a moment later with a pole-arm with a blade that curved like a crescent moon, the inside of the curve was sharpened.

“Thank you,” Moon said and pulled the weapon with her through the portal.

Now with the weapon Moon stared at the lumbering form of the Hydracore.

“Princess?” Moon asked

“Ah yes, I see,” Mina said with a smile. “When he comes back we hack him to bits a leave. Tragically the monster lost to the Hydracore and we where forced to flee.”

“What? No!” Moon glared at Mina, she was getting sick and tired of the womans single mindedness. “I want to try my hand at hunting here. A sickle is the traditional weapon for septarians, Toffee has been teaching me how to use it.”

* * *

When Toffee finally started attacking was blatantly obvious from the earth shattering roar. From where they are Moon, River, and Mina can see the heads snapping like whips from side to side. Tree’s screamed as they where snapped like twigs and sharp leaves rained down the area. One lucky trunk impaled itself a few feet to their left.

“Ow, that hurt!” One of the vines moaned. “Dang it Rick, be careful!”

“So the tree’s can talk,” River murmured. “Uh, which one is winning over there?”

“Oh, some jerk suddenly showed up and took a swipe at one of Rick’s heads, nearly cut it off too. Dude’s got old Rick on the back foot too.”

“I’m going to get a better look,” Moon said and then bolted towards the fight.

“Princess wait,” River called out and hurried after her.

Mina grumbled as she used a sword to hack her own path to fallow them.

Moon soon climbed a tall tree, apologizing to it along the way. At the top she got a better view of the fight.

Toffee darted in zig-zags, his tail slapping the ground to change direction. His sickle gleaming and leaving a trail of silver as it was swung with the intent to reap. He spun and dodged one of the heads snapping at him only to have a near miss as another attacked in the shadow of the first.

The third that came from Toffee’s blind spot sank its teeth into his arm, the skin tinging green with the Hydracores venom. With seemingly no hesitation Toffee’s sickle cleaved through his afflicted arm at the shoulder. Bone erupted from the fresh stump and was soon fallowed by muscle and then covered in skin as the entire limb regrew. Using his new arm Toffee sunk his claws into the neck that lead to the head that bit his arm. Then like a headman he used his sickle and cleaved the head off in one motion.

The Hydracore roared as the now headless neck split in two. Like Toffee’s arm before each new neck grew a new head. The snapped at where Toffee was and found empty air.

Toffee had already darted under the creature, making to cut off one of its legs to creat another opening to take his second head. What he found instead of an empty space for him to move was a wall of the other heads.

Moon watched as Toffee retreated and darted into the tree’s.

The Hydracore swiped one of its necks across the area where it last saw Toffee, snapping every tree it touched. Each tree cursed at the Hydracore.

When Moon’s eyes found Toffee again two trees had fallen on him. One pinned his arms in front of him while the other pinned his tail. With out his sickle free he couldn’t sever the limbs that where holding him back and he was effectively trapped.

With a hollow stomach Moon moved with out thinking much of it. She jumped from the top of the tree. The blade of her war-sickle sunk into the tree opposite and cut through the wood on her way down, slowing her decent to a safe speed. Weaving through the trees Moon severed their limbs and vines before they present themselves as a threat.

When she found her self in the area that the Hydracore had flattened she ran to where Toffee was. When she found him she didn’t hesitate. Two flashes of silver and both of Toffee’s arms and his tail where severed.

The limbs regrew as he stood. He looked Moon up and down and ten nodded towards the Hydracore.

Moon sprinted towards the creature while Toffee looked for his weapon.

One of the creatures heads rushed at Moon like a loosed arrow. Spinning her polearm Moon sidestepped the attack. The blade shining it pierced the Hydracore’s eye. Using the momentum of her first attack Moon swung the weapon in a circle as she pirouetted and brought the weapon to bare against the bottom of the creatures neck. The blade gleamed as it made contact with the scaly hide. Moon was shocked at how easy it was to cut and found the creatures head severed before she could react.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw another head move towards her, teeth bared and green venom dripping.

In that instant she watched calmly as Toffee appeared and severed the head. The first head he severed clutched in his curled tail. He sunk his claws into the freshly cut one and turned on his heel the moment he landed to make a getaway.

Moon hesitated only slightly to grab the head that she took and then fallowed after him.

They both ran through the cutting forest as fast as they could. Leaving the roaring and thrashing Hydracore behind.

* * *

“What were you thinking?” Toffee roared at Moon the moment they where safe. “That was entirely reckless and foolish of you to do! What could possibly have been going through you’re mind for you to rush over like that?”

“You where in danger!” Moon screamed back. “You where pinned down and the Hydracore was on top of you! People may call you the Immortal Monster but you are killable too! Hydracore venom can kill anything that can die and a few things that can’t!”

“I would have been fine!”

“And what if you weren’t? What then?”

“Then life would go on,” Toffee said noticeably calmer.

“I wouldn’t,” Moon whispered. “I don’t like seeing my friends in danger, let alone die.”

Toffee stared at Moon for what felt like an age with out uttering a word. How many more times could the Mewman Princess stop him cold in his tracks. To leave him at a loss for words.

She treats him as an equal. She’s never had a hint of disdain in their interactions. Everything about her is not within his expectations. She brazenly throws every meticulous part of his plan out the window and moves in the direction she thinks is best and then proves her point.

“Be vary careful about who you consider a friend Princess,” Toffee warned.

“Should I not consider you a friend?”

“It might have consequences that you are not prepared for.”

“And what might those be?”

“In case you haven’t noticed Princess, but relations between your people and mine have been less than friendly ever since yours showed up. Just three hundred years ago I not only had no resistance in building an army to attack Mewni but I had open encouragement. I had so many eager recruits I had to turn them away because I couldn’t support an army of that size. Yes, what stopped me from conquering Mewni was logistics and nothing else. A problem I would have solved at some point if Eclipsa didn’t sway my view.

“Now three hundred years might be a long time to you but I can live for two thousand years. Many monster races can live just as long. On the Mewman side, hatred and distrust of Monsters is ingrained into your vary culture. Most hate me and my kind with never having even met one on simple principle. How do you think your people would react if their future queen declared that she was friends with something that they all consider the incarnate of evil?”

Moon stared at Toffee in shock. She rarely ever heard him talk so much at once. And every point he his sank her heart. She wasn’t naive, she wasn’t stupid, she knew that Mewman didn’t like Monsters and that Monsters didn’t like Mewman, but this?

“I, uh-um, I hadn’t thought of that.” She then stood straight and looked Toffee in the eye, “but that doesn’t change that I do consider you my friend. And isn’t everything we’re working towards to change it? Why is it that when ever me or my mother think that we have made some progress you always seem to focus on the bad? You made a Mewman think that you could be a friend! How is that bad? Before mother told me about the treaty I thought that one day I would be fighting off Monster invasions when I took the throne. Now? Now I look forward to a long and stable peace all thanks to you! You have single handedly proven every single thing I had ever learned about Monsters wrong, why is that such a bad thing?”

“Because there will always be a reaction, _Princess_ ,” Toffee lectured and Moon noticed the stressing of her title. “Everything you do will have a reaction across the entire Kingdom. Change things too quickly and a group might feel like you a persecuting them on their beliefs. It will get messy. You and your mother are eager, which I find admirable, but that eagerness makes you miss some of the details.”

“And you want us to move so slowly it will take generations to have any significant change!”

“Yes! That is precisely it,” Toffee snapped. “It will take generations and if done right it will be done with in four or five of them. Move too quickly and you make extremist which will draw this out for seven or even ten generations.”

“So I will never see it done then? I will never live to see the day that Mewni is in harmony? That Mewman and Monster will no longer fear each other?”

Moon let out a vary unlady-like growl and turned away from Toffee to march away.


	10. Chapter 10

Moon returned from the Realm of Pain and Torment alone and in a huff. Pure rage simmered under her skin. Pointless and self absorbed anger at the world. Trying her best to find an outlet for her anger she settled on Toffee.

“That stupid sptarian,” she seethed into the empty air of her room. “He’ll live for millenia! Of course his plans will take hundreds of years to come to fruition! Why did I let myself get my hopes up about seeing my people with out fear!”

She looked at the Hydracores head still in her hands. The viper like head dripping in purple blood and green venom into her plush carpet. Baring her teeth she chucked it at the wall with a scream.

“Stupid! Stupid!”

She drew her wand and pointed it at the head and gritted her teeth. Then she looked at her wand and remembered what Toffee said about Butterfly Magic. How the Monsters feared her just for having it. How she was the scary thing used to keep children in line. How one of her ancestors was called The Monster Carver with glee by Mewni while she was a horror to them.

With roar she threw her wand a the opposite wall to the Hydracore head.

Huffing with gritted teeth she glared at the two items. They where symbols. Symbols of the two worlds she now found herself pulled between.

The head is for the Monsters. The ways she was learning to better the relations, to build better bridges. A world she was noticeable falling in love with. The Monsters where a wonderful people that she regrets where vilified in Mewni’s past.

The wand is for Mewni and the Mewmen. A world she was born into. Rigorous structure and protocol and rules that often felt suffocating. Centuries of history she now saw was covered in mud and blood. A world she was growing to hate the more she learned of its true nature. Of every lie, half truth, and deception.

“Stupid! Stupid, me!”

Hot, angry tears began to run down the Princess’ cheeks as she felt her heart beat oddly.

* * *

Toffee returned much later after tracking down River, who managed to bring down a small Slithering Discord. The Prince hefted up as much of the twelve foot snake as he could with a face cracking smile of pride. Toffee has a distant recollection of helping him coil it so it is easier to carry.

His mind is reeling from the argument with Princess Moon. He over look one minor detail, no he just didn’t consider it. That they would be eager to see it finished. That either the Queen or Princess would strive for it and see it as their best interest.

The conversation about Mewnipendance day with Princess Moon should have been a sign of this but he brushed to the side because she made a convincing point. That there may not ever be a right time for the next step. And that was another thing he never considered but now seemed glaringly obviouse. That his plan could stall because he was waiting for the perfect moment.

WIth a sigh Toffee returned his weapon to the guards and carried his two Hydracore heads to his room. Sitting at the table he used his claws to carfully carve away the flesh from the bone. A well practiced skill he didn’t even need to think of to acomplish. It was meditative and allowed him to center himself.

With both skulls free of flesh he staired at the empty sockets of each and felt a glare settle over his features.

“Foolish, of course it would take generations,” he grumbled at the skulls. “Even if we implemented every change I have planned now it would take centuries for everyone to actually fallow them. Let alone the general attitude of the average Mewman and Monster.”

The skulls stared blankly at him in return. The silence suddenly deafening and suffocating. The weight of his choice felt like it was crushing him for the first time in his life. He picked up one of the skulls and looked it over.

“Did I make the right choice? Would it have been better just to conquer Mewni? No, simpler maybe but the most difficult way is usually the best,” he sighs and then carves the symbol of Septarsis above the single eye socket, the silhouette of a vipers mouth as its about to bite.

“Everything I do, I do for my people,” he recites the words like an oath, “before myself there is the clan, before the clan there is nothing. For Septarsis I give my flesh and blood. For Septarsis I take flesh and blood. No sacrifice to great, no price too high, no enemy too fierce. For clan and kin.”

He repeats the oath as he carves the symbol into the other skull.

Toffee then writes a quick note and folds it and labels it for Princess Moon. He stands and goes to speaks to one of the guards out side of his room, “I have a message I need delivered to Princess Moon.”

The guard nods as she takes the folded paper and then hurries off.

* * *

Moon sits on her bed with her arms wrapped around her knees. Her red and puffy eyes still glaring between the head of the Hydracore and her wand. She doesn’t know how long she’s been like this but all the stillness and quiet is doing nothing to help her anger. She doesn’t even know who she’s angry at or who she’s supposed to be angry at, herself for getting her hopes up or Toffee for be Toffee.

Her brooding was interrupted with a knock at her door. She stood and hastily wiped her eyes. Then with the years of training she put on her best impassive face as she opened the door. On the other side was a single gueard.

“A message from Ser Toffee,” she said and handed Moon a piece of folded paper.

“Thank you.”

Moon took the message and closed the door. As soon as she was alone again she glared at the note. Her name and title neatly written on it in Toffee’s hand writing, his claws always leave a distinct curve. Opening it she read six simple words; “bring the skull to the feast.”

The skull?

Moon glanced at the Hydracore head and bit her bottom lip. What other skull could he mean. Grumbling she balls up the paper and throws it across the room, glaring at it the whole way. She crosses her arms and just looks at the severed head for a long time before finally huffing and tossing it onto a table.

She leaves briefly to get a knife and then gets to work.

She’s never had to skin anything before. She would ask for help if she didn’t have a thought about why Toffee wanted her to bring the skull. And if she was right she had to do this herself with out help. She whe fumbles with the knife as she carves off bits of the Hydracores flesh from its skull. The gore stinks and the purple blood stains everything it lands but she’s determined to do this.

The venom sack was the hardest part. Removing it whole with out it leaking turned out to all be in the wrist.

It took all day. The sun was down and she missed. She was tired. Her room smelled like a slaughter house. Everything had a tinge of venom so potent it might even kill a septarian but she did it. A clean skull with out a touch of skin or muscle was sitting in front of her.


	11. Chapter 11

Queen Comet walked through the banquet hall to give her daughters preparations one final look over. She was impressed at everything she saw. Mewman decorations mixed with what she could only assume were Monster decor. The seating arrangement was also quite well done. On a raised platform was the table that she and her daughter would sit at along with the representatives from the Dukedom, on the table where three name cards: Carmel, Taffy, and Toffee.

If she remembers correctly Taffy was Toffee’s sister and holder of the title of Archduchess. Carmel drew a blank from her memory though. Sitting at the table with her meant that who ever Carmel was they’re related to Toffee and Taffy, could it be a spouse, or a parent, maybe a child even.

Below their platform on one of their own was one for the Magic High Commission.

After that the tables on the floor where arranged in a circle which Comet found odd. Mewnipendance day didn’t have anything like dances but Moon had obviously set up the hall to facilitate one. Moon had made significant efforts to incorporate Monster traditions into the event and even made her point to change the meaning of the holiday all together. To have it cooped into a unifying holiday instead of one of Mewni victory. Comet agreed, but she didn’t really know what to expect.

“Moon, why is there a dance space in the table layout?” Comet asked her daughter.

“You said you wanted to offer an apology for everything our ancestors have done,” Moon answered, “I thought it would be best to do it in their custom. An apology can’t be given if it is not on equal footing. Then there’s the fight.”

“Fight?”

“Its also their custom to have a challenge between two meeting parties, the party that made the effort has the right to issue the challenge. I will be issuing a martial challenge on behalf of Mewni.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes Mother, I’m certain.”

There was a slight edge in her daughters voice that sent Comet’s instincts into a frenzy. She wanted to object and put her foot down, to not allow this challenge. But that was her instinct as a Mother. Her instinct as a Queen and ruler told her to allow it to happen, what ever it was would be allowed if it brought the two peoples together. She just hoped that Moon wouldn’t be injured too greatly.

* * *

Later that day in the front courtyard of Butterfly Castle the welcome party for the Dukedom Representatives gathered. The Queen and Princess front and center, Toffee beside the Queen and either side flanked by the Magic High Commission.  
Queen Comet dressed in a ball gown of pastel pinks and purples, her crown perched on the top of her head. Moon stood next to her in an armored dress of silver and light blue. On her hip the Butterfly wand was slung and in her hand she held a war-sickle. Comet would have raised an issue with this if Toffee wasn’t also wearing his armor with his sickle on his hip.

Then, on schedule, a portal was ripped into existence. From he wavering swirl stepped out a Septarian who looked like a copy of Toffee only with a narrower torso. They where also dressed like Toffee but with only lone long skull with fangs over their right shoulder and held a large scythe. After them came a similar Septarian who stood with a hunch and held themselves up with a cane. Then came a Frogman who was built like brick house. A Flyman who hovered several feet above the ground to be at an even hight to the others. After them it seemed that there was one member of the precession for every race or clan.

“I am Taffy of Septarsis, Archduchess of the Monster Dukedom,” the first septarian spoke in a feminine voice.

“I am Princess Moon Butterfly, thank you for accepting my invitation,” Moon spoke, her mother previously giving her permission to handle nearly everything.

“Does the Queen not deem us suitable to speak too?”

“I am unfamiliar with your ways, I would have learned them if running the kingdom was not such a demanding job. My daughter how ever has dedicated most of her free time to learn everything she can from Toffee. I have given her the honor of handling any and all official or unofficial dealings with the Dukedom.”

“My brother has been teaching you our ways?” Taffy sounded skeptical.

“Shall you accept my challenge and find out?” Moon asked as she leveled her war-sickle at Taffy.  
A predatory gleam entered Taffy’s eyes as smile took to her face. She then leveled her scythe at Moon. They booth then approached each other until their weapons crossed. Each then flicked their wrists and made their curved blades hook together.

“No one may interfere!” Moon spoke to the guards.

“Rules?”

Moon smirked, “do you’re best not to kill me.”

They stood there and just stared at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Then Moon suddenly yanked their linked weapons towards her. When Taffy’s strength didn’t allow her to gain any ground she changed tactics. Using the linked weapons as a kind of horizontal pole vault she swung to Taffy’s back from her right. With a twist of her wrist her war-sickle was free and a brilliant arc of silver swept like a crescent moon around her. Her blade swept at Taffy’s legs only to have the pole gripped by Taffy’s tail just below the blade. Moon smile as she yanked the weapon back severing the septarian’s tail.

Taffy’s reaction showed no emotion or notice to the loss of her tail as she twisted to her left to meet the crouched Princess. Her scythe was swung with the experience of centuries of actual combat. Taffy watched as Moon trusted her war-sickle like a spear just beneath the path of her own scythe. The Princess then swung upwards with a labored grunt as she redirected the weapons path over her head with a calm and calculated precision that reminded Taffy of her brother.  
Moon then spun her weapon in a figure eight and side stepped to keep to Taffy’s back. When she saw the slightest opening she lashed out and hit her target and severed Taffy’s arm, the one holding the scythe. The curve of her war-sickle then hooked onto the scythe and she flung it into the air. Moon then jumped back just in time to miss the claws of the freshly regenerated arm.

“You little whelp!” Taffy hissed.

Moon smiled as she reached up just in time to catch the scythe. Spinning both of them in mesmerizing arcs of silver she then launched herself towards the fuming Septarian.  
Taffy lashed out with her claws and missed by a hair as the princes spun to the side.

With a weapon in each hand Moon lashed out in a flurry of strikes, each leaving a trail of silver. One severed Taffy’s tail again. Then one sliced off a leg. Slicing her arms into three parts. The end came as Moon spun to Taffy’s back and hooked the blade of her own scythe around her neck. A swift tug and it was over. Taffy’s head slid from her body with a thud and her body crumpled onto itself like a banner cut free.

Comet and the rest from Mewni gasped.

The Monsters on the other hand laughed and cheered.

Moon looked at the crumpled form of Taffy and her head a few feet from her body, “so what happens now? Does her body grow a new head or her head a new body?”

“If we’re quick neither,” Toffee said as he swept in and took his sisters head.

The Frog Man then held up Taffy’s body with a sharp tooth smile, “she will not be living this down any time soon.”

“That she wont,” Toffee agreed as he placed his sisters head back onto her body. The two pieces then merged together and Taffy let out a grown.

“Did that happen?” Taffy asked as she cracked her neck, “feels a like its a little to the left.”

“I could cut it off again and we can try again,” Moon said with a smirk.

“You,” Taffy said and glared, “I like you.”

Moon offered the scythe back, “glad to get off on the right foot then.

The gathering the soon departed.

“Well done,” Toffee said as he passed, “Moon.”

Moon scowled, still angry but at this point not sure at who or what. So she huffed at Toffee’s praise and marched passed him, the end of her war-sickle thudding along for emphasis.

* * *

In the banquet hall Comet stands in the middle of the cleared space that Moon prepared, “before we begin I must say something.”

The gathering of Mewman and Monsters watch her from every angle. The Queen stands tall and her eyes lock with Toffee.

“Generations ago my people, the Mewmen, arrived here. We don’t know where we came from or why we came here but we’re here none the less. After a time we came into contact with others that where here before us, the Monsters for lack of a better term though I am aware that some refer to themselves as Of the Clans. I do not believe what my ancestors have written about that time anymore, that you attacked and we defended ourselves. It is late, but it is better to be late than never. I apologize, on behalf of every Mewman and the Kingdom of Mewni.”  
As Comet finished she did as her daughter instructed earlier, she averted her eyes left and bowed her head a fraction of a degree while slumping her shoulders slightly. A poise meant in Monster society as admittance of a wrong doing but not submission.

“Sister,” Toffee spoke, “if I may?”

“You handle theses things best,” Taffy consented.

Toffee then stepped down from the table and placed both his hands on Comets shoulders.

“Words will never be enough to make things rite between our peoples,” Toffee said, “but it is more of a start than I thought I would get, thank you. Now I have something to show my intent, if you would take your seat your Majesty.”  
Comet smiled and nodded as she walked up to the table and sat.

“Moon, did you bring it?” Toffee asked and the princess nodded. “Good, come forward with it.”

The monster looked on with shock as the Princess of Mewni walked up to Toffee with a bare skull from a Hydracore.

Toffee turned to the crowd, “before I start, do any of you challenge my leadership of Clan Septarsis or that I have nothing but the best intentions for our people?”

The Monsters spoke as one, “no!”

Toffee turned back to Moon and held out his hand and took the skull, “repeat after me: Everything I do, I do for my people.”

“Everything I do, I do for my people,” Moon repeated.

Toffee’s claw began to carve into the skull, “before myself there is the clan, before the clan there is nothing.”

“Before myself there is the clan, before the clan there is nothing.”

“For Septarsis I give my flesh and blood.”

Moon raised an eye brow, this seemed familiar to her, “For Septarsis I give my flesh and blood.”

“For Septarsis I take flesh and blood.”

She thinks that they went over it in a lesson, “For Septarsis I take flesh and blood.”

“No sacrifice too great, no price too high, no enemy too fierce.”

Her other eye brow join her first in her hair line as she remembered, “No sacrifice too great, no price too high, no enemy too fierce.”

“For clan and kin.”

The oath for joining a clan, “For clan and kin.”

“Do you accept this skull?”

Moons heart pounded in her ears as she stared at the skull. Nicks from where she struggled with carving off the flesh. The fresh and new emblem of Clan Septarsis right above the single eye socket.

“I accept,” Moon said with a gulp

“Then welcome, Moon of Septarsis,” Toffee said and walked to the princess’ side to attach the skull to her shoulder like his where.

The new addition to her dress rested its teeth just above her elbow compared to the same skulls that rested in the middle of his bicep.

“Toffee, kneel?” Moon asked. Her eyes darted to her mother.

The Queen recognized what she intended and gave a subtle nod.

Toffee raised a single brow but did kneel on one knee before the Princess, but all that did was bring them to eye level.

Moon drew her wand and raised it high, “Toffee, in recognition of the great efforts you have gone through for not only the realm of Mewni but for the Monster peoples. I, Princess Moon Butterfly, with authority granted by Queen Comet Butterfly, here by knight you.”

Moon tapped each of Toffee’s shoulders.

“Rise, Sir Toffee Knight of Mewni.”

Toffee rose and smirked at the Princess, “well done,” he whispered.

Now they where on even footing. He as the leader of Clan Septarsis had power over here while she as the Princess of Mewni had power over them.

“Now!” Moon called out, “who wants to hear how I saved Toffee from a Hydracore?”

The Monsters laughed and cheered.

The Mewmen ranged from scandalized to down right terrified. Though there were a few that looked pleased or excited.


	12. Chapter 12

Toffee managed to escape the polarized atmosphere of the hall and breathed the cool night air. He worked hard to make sure that the leaders and representatives of the Clans present would be welcoming to the Mewman, even if this was far earlier than he planned on them meeting. It was the Mewman that for the most part refused to mingle. Princess Moon and Prince River lead the charge to interact with the monsters, drawing in many young and curious Mewman attendants. But the older generations stayed in their little circles and cliques separate and away from the rest.

“Yes, Sister?” Toffee asked a seemingly empty shadow.

“Welcoming a Mewman into our Clan,” Taffy’s voice was light but held a slight threat, “I’m not challenging your leadership, just that the pacing of your plan seems to have gone through the wringer.”

“Yes, the Queen and Princess are a little more eager than I thought they would be,” Toffee told her and sighed. “I also forgot the desire for short term results. The shorter lived monster races fallow our lead with out much question or complaint so it slipped my mind.”

“They’re acting towards the goal with more moxie than you thought they would.”

“Yes.”  
Silence fell between the siblings. Each wore a copied expression of the other. Both retreating into their thoughts. While Taffy would never be the strategist or thinker her brother is she was still better than most, every Septarian is. Long lives lead to good planning after all.

“What kind of a knee jerk are we looking at?” Taffy finally broke the silence.

“Separatists, rebellion, dissidents, political polarization that will last for centuries, take your pick. My original plan is all but gone now, the foundation is still there but the Princess and the Queen have both taken it in a different direction.”

“You don’t sound too angry so it must be the same goal just a different path.”

“A much moor dangerous path,” Toffee sighed, “if my path was a pleasant walk through the garden they have chosen a tight rope over a chasm filled with poisonous creatures and sharp rocks.”

“Sounds like my kind of walk.”

“That it may be, but with the sake of our people at stake with the best case scenario if we fail is war I would prefer the safe and sure path.”

Taffy sighed, “yeah.”

Toffee turned to his sister and his eyes flicked to shadow, “you’re getting better, I almost didn’t notice you.”

“Huh?”

Taffy twisted just in time to see Princess Moon step out of the shadow. Her mouth opened and closed before she settle a glare on her brother, “you’re teaching her how to stalk?”

“I am, she is quite talented at it. It’s nearly hard to believe that I started to teacher only a few weeks ago.”

“Thought I would test and see how good your sister is,” Moon said with a smirk.

“Get her on the battle field and there are few that are better,” Toffee said. “Outside of fighting, however, and my dear sister sis better than most but not quite my equal.”

“Thats putting it lightly,” Taffy growled. “I’m heading back in.”

As Moon watched Taffy close the balcony door she turned to Toffee with a raised eyebrow.

“What?”

“So I have moxie do I?”

Toffee couldn’t help the defeated sigh he let out. As he shook his head it was all he could do to suppress a smile and encourage the princess.

“Gusto, even.”

Moon gave Toffee’s blank expression a knowing look and rolled her eyes.

“Would it be so bad to admit that you’re happy with the change of plans?”

“Yes.”

“And why is that?”

* * *

From a tower Mina’s eye twitched as she watched the Princess and that Monster interact as if they where friends.

Her anger burned at its blatant lies, cooled only by the fact that sooner or later the Queen and Princess will see through its lies. They have to.

“Just watch yourself lizard,” Mina growled and ground her teeth. “I will find a way to kill you if its the last thing I do!”

* * *

 

As Queen Comet traded small talk with, what was his name again, Yvg-something. She notice that she hadn’t seen Moon for quite some time. Now that she thought about it Toffee was gone for a bit as well.

Politely excusing herself from the conversation she began to make her rounds. Stopping every now and then to have brief pleasantries with someone or another. She finally came to a stop at the doors to the balcony. There she saw her daughter and Toffee. There she paused for a moment. A thought came unbidden to her, a memory really, of when she first met Moon’s father. The parallels where uncanny and some what worrying.

At a quick glance they might just look like friends ribbing each other. But Comet saw how Moon stood slightly too close and looked at Toffee a little to long.

Comet glanced around and saw that the guest too absorbed in whatever they where talking about, but it didn’t help the knot of worry that she suddenly felt in her gut. The feeling of worry balanced between the potential political fallout if she was right and a maternal urge to protect her daughter from any kind of perceived danger.

“Oh, Moon…”

 


	13. Chapter 13

After Mewnipendance day Queen Comet has been in a some what pensive mood. The growing relations between Toffee and her daughter has been on the forefront of her mind to a distracting degree. Like a new recipe she could feel on the tip of her tongue but the final ingredient was missing. That ingredient was how to handle the situation. In truth she’s too afraid of reenacting a similar situation she had with her own mother. The situation that lead to Comet leaving the castle and meeting Moons father. That, she will admit, was not the best time of her life, though she is eternally grateful for the gift that is Moon.

So what to do?

* * *

 The spell book. No one but a Butterfly should ever handle the spell book with the intent to use its spells. While most Mewmans can use magic, the Butterfly bloodline is the only one that can truly use it with out the ill effects of dementia and general loopiness. But that Didn’t stop Mina befor when she wielded magic in defense of Mewni and it wont stop her now.

Slamming the book down on a table Mina flipped straight to Elcipsa’s Chapter.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Glossaryck floated up from the open book. Holding both of his hands with far too many fingers in a general stop motion. “What are you doing Mina?”

“I need a way to kill something that can’t die,” Mina said.

“And why would you need that?” He asked while raising an eyebrow and digging into his ear with a pinky.

“I need to kill something that cant die.”

“Okaaaay…” Glossaryck trailed off and examined a bud of ear wax on the tip of his finger. “That doesn’t answer my question.”

“Give me the spell Glossaryck!” Mina slammed her fist into the table while screaming at him, causing the ear wax to fall off.

“I don't have to give you anything,” Glossaryck pointed out.

“You gave me spells before,” Mina accused.

“No, I didn’t. You read those spells over the shoulder of a young Solaria,” Glossaryck told her, while a toe began to dig into his other ear. “Besides, there isn’t a spell that can kill the unlikable in the book. Trust me, I would know.”

“Weeeeeeeeeeeelllllll…” Glossaryck dragged on and began to rotate until he faced the lock on Eclispa’s chapter. “She might know. She made a lot of spells but never put them into the book, too dangerous.”

“Great!” Mina screeched and pulled on her pigtails. “The only person who can help is three hundred years dead!”

“Oh, she’s not dead,” Glossaryck said flippantly, pulling out a solid stick of ear wax with his toe, “wow, look at that.”

“What do you mean she’s not dead?” Mina grabbed Glossaryck and scowled at him.

“She was imprisoned by Rhombulus by order of the Magic High Commission,” he told her with a blank look. “I think she’s his most prized catch, got a big chamber just for her. Has her posed all creeping in the crystal too.”

“So, Eclipsa is alive and imprisoned in snake-hand-guy’s crystal things?” Mine hummed and tossed Glossaryck into the book and then shut it.

* * *

 Rhombulus flew into the chamber containing Eclipsa and crumpled into a heap at the edge of the ledge. He was bruised and beaten.

“What is wrong with her?” His left hand hissed.

“Got me,” his right hissed back.

“Ow,” Rhombulus moaned.

As he started to sit up the entire chamber began to shake, with bits of crystals falling from the ceiling. Then floating a foot above the ground and radiating power came Mina, muscles bulging, and eyes glowing. Reaching down she grabbed the crystal that was Rhombulus’ head and held him so he face Eclipsa.

“I need to speak with her,” Her voice was layered and echoed like there was six of her speaking in an echo chamber.

“What, why?”

“Uncrystalize her, now!” Mina slammed his face into Eclipsa’a prison.

“N-no!”

“Do I need to rip off an arm?” Mina ground his face into the crystal. “Left or right? Those are your options, let me talk to her or loose an arm, maybe both if your stubborn.”

Squeezing his eye shut the crystal around Eclipsa’s uper body and head melted away.

While the former queen gasped for air Mina tossed Rhombulus over the edge and glared at the queen.

“Do you have a spell to kill the unkillable?” Mina demanded more than asked.

“B four,” Eclipsa groaned.

“Answer me!” Mina bellowed and raised a palm that radiated energy, “or else.”

Gesturing with her eyes Eclips repeated, “b four.”

“I don’t have time for this! Answer me!”

“B four,” Eclipsa repeated.

Mina finally turned around and saw the snack machine. Returning to her normal form she punched through the glass and took out the candy bar. Waving it at Eclipsa with a smile she asked, “do you want this?”  
Eclipsa nodded and bit at the candy bar.

“Then answer my question,” Mina demanded and pulled the candy back.

“Yes,” Eclipsa admitted.

Mina tossed the treat on the ledge the melted crystal made around her hips. No way would Mina even attempt to feed this Monster loving traitor.  
Struggling for a bit Eclipsa managed to free and arm. From bellow her elbow to her hand the skin was cracked like stone and an inky darkness swirled just under what Mina could only guess was what used to be skin. Tearing into the candy bars packaging with her teeth she then took two greedy bites and chewed on it noisily.

“So?”

“Tha shpewl innit dat shimble,” Eclipsa said through her full mouth.

“What?”

Swallowing Eclispa repeated, “the spell isn’t that simple. It requires a pact, the spell for a promise sealed with and by magic.”

Mina sneered at the former queen.

“Oh, come now Mina.” Eclipsa ate a quick bite. “You want to kill a septarian, its going to cost you.”

“Fine,” Mina hissed. “What. Do. You. Want?”

“My freedom.”

“No! Even if I could I wouldn’t allow you to be free.”

“Than you resolve is weak,” Eclipsa said as she wolfed down the last of the candy bar.

At the dig Mina bristled. Weak, in any shape, way, or form she was not. With a growl far more suited to the Monsters she despised Mina said through gritted teeth, “fine!”

“Excellent!” Eclipsa’s cheek marks creased with her smile, “now an oath made and bound with and by magic is neigh unbreakable. The only thing more powerful would be an oath between two queens. Your hand.”

Eclipsa reached out with her stony and cracked hand that all but dripped dark ink. Then with a reluctant huff Mina clasped it in her and was startled at our soft it felt despite the look of solid stone.

“I will grant you the spell, and when the feud between you and your foe is ended my freedom shall be mine,” Eclipsa said and her cheek marks began to glow a deep purple. A black ribbon grew from their joined hands and wrapped around their forearms.

“Do you swear?”

“I swear,” Mina spat.

The ribbon flaired a brilliant white and sank into their arms. The twinge of magic now linking them.

“Good,” Eclipsa said sweetly and smiled, “now listen closely.”


	14. Chapter 14

Timing would be key for Mina. Her target, that thing, is almost always around either the Princess or Queen lately. It also never seems to actually sleep and its room was turned into a fortress after that moron with the crystal skull kicked down the doors.

She just needs half a minute for the incantation and then BAM! Killed the unkillable. Then the Queen and Princess will come to their senses and realize they were being tricked by the monsters. They’ll realize their mistake of signing that treaty with those animals. Then, and then, Mina will go back to hunting them and mounting their heads on her wall as trophies.

Good ol’ normal.

* * *

Now! Its alone in the garden, the guards are in the middle of a shift change. Now its perfect.

“You!” Mina hissed as she activated the dormant spells with in her.

“Mina, yes?” It looked at her, unamused and dared to speak.

“I’m going to kill you!”

It smirked at her, “and how, do tell, do you plan on doing that? I’m only three hundred and ninty two. I have at least another seventeen hundred years.”

“With the spell I took from Eclipsa!”

Its amusement was gone, replaced with the cold look of a warrior who thinks a hundred moves ahead caught off guard.

Raising a hand towards the Monster Mina began the spell, “I call the darkness on to me, from deepest depth of earth and sea. From ancient evils unawoken, break the one that can’t be broken.”

Mina’s glowing white eyes clouded with an inky darkness that dripped like misty tears. The dark mist flowed along Mina’s body and coiled around her arm until it started to pool in her palm.

* * *

Eclipsa’s frozen form in the depths of Rhombulus’ crystal prisons began to shudder. The dark, club-shaped cheek marks glowed an eerie purple.

* * *

The wave of dark magic hit Comet like a fist to the gut. Her hand shook as she reached to touch her cheek marks that began to throb in pain. A shiver ran down her spine and every instinct she had screamed to run. A far and as fast as she could.

Biting her lip until she tasted blood and then ran towards the fear inducing sensation.

* * *

For Moon the dark magic felt less like a blow than a cold, frigged caress that sent her nerves on edge. It felt familiar, yet foreign, and entirely dangerous. Her cheek marks started to tingle and touching them connected the dots, Butterfly magic. But twisted to a dark purpose. She got the same feeling when-

With out further thought Moon ran towards the source.

* * *

“To blackest night I pledge my soul, and crush my heart to burning coal.”

With every word the inky mist grew thicker and gained a slight purple glow to it.

* * *

Feeling time is of the essence Comet called on her Butterfly form and shot a beam of magic straight towards the source of her fear. Flying through the holes in the walls Comet pushed herself more than she ever had before.

She never like combat, she barely tolerated magic. It was why she ran away. But now, now she felt it. What her daughter always tried to describe with aw and wonder. A tingling thrill of the danger that was ahead of her.

Crashing through the last wall she found herself in the garden and staring at Mina and Toffee. Mina radiating a dark aura and Toffee’s head twitching ever so slightly as he looked for a way out and found none. His favorite rock in the middle of the garden was now his downfall, out in the open and no cover.

“To summon forth the deadly power, to see my hated foe devoured!”

With her final words a black beam shot from Mina’s palm and Comet shouted a spell on instinct, “Slugious Accelum!”

Time slowed by degrees as Comet went faster and faster. Looking at the beam she realized it wasn’t enough as it was still moving vary fast towards Toffee who began to move. Comet could see that he wouldn’t make it. She had a decision to make and it was simple.

If Toffee dies then the treaty goes up in smoke. The now organized Monster clans will declare war on Mewni. A war Mewni can’t win.  
Comet curved her flight towards Toffee, racing the beam of what ever spell Mina cast. Comet was just faster than it as she reached Toffee with just enough time to push him out of the way. She planed to fly under the beam, or over it, something that

would allow her to get out of this alive. But she did go in with the thought that she might die. So when she looked at the beam and saw it heading square for her chest she wasn’t that surprised.

What did surprise her was when she looked back to Toffee and saw Moon over his shoulder. In her Butterfly form aswell and blurry as a similar spell allowed her to move fast enough to see what is happening in detail. Comet offered her daughter one last smile while mouthing “I love you.”

* * *

Moons blood ran cold as she watched her mother, Queen Comet of Mewni, die in slow motion. The beam from Mina’s hand gut through Toffee’s middle finger and then engulfed her mother. Inky mist swirled around her like Buzzing Parana Bees around fresh meat. Then her mother evaporated and was gone.

A magic filled, ear shattering scream came from Moon as she lost her hold on the speed spell. Time snapped back to its regular speed. Moon found herself heaving through clenched teeth and filled with an impossible rage.

“No! I missed!” Mina bellowed.

Moon snapped her hand in Mina’s direction and her magic surged out like a geyser. The pure magic enveloped Mina and squeezed like a vice. Looking at Mina, at her mothers killer, her vision grew blurry and she felt tears burn streaks over her cheeks. She dragged a struggling Mina toward her.

“Mina Lovebeary,” Moon said, scarring herself with how calm and cold she sounded. “For the crime of regicide, the murder of Queen Comet Butterfly, you are… you are… you’re.”

“Banished?” Toffee asked in his ever cool voice.

“Banished!?” Moon screeched at him, “she killed my mother while trying to kill you. She nearly plunged the entire dimension into an unwinadable war. You, you want me to banish her?”

“Oh believe me Highness, I want to do far worse to her. However, you need to think about what happens after,” Toffee reasoned. “Mina is the face of the Anti-Monster factions within the kingdom. They wont care if it was for regicide, they’ll see her execution as an attack on their beliefs.”

“Which might start a civil war,” Moon finished. She looked at Mina as her initial shock wore off, “Toffee go and get the guards, tell them to bring the Dragon Chains. I plan to make this into a spectacle.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was planning on writing more but this felt like a good stopping point 😗


	15. Chapter 15

Word of Mina’s deeds spread through the dimension like wild fire. Leaders of the Kingdoms allied to Mewni gathered. King King Johansen Sir, King Massive Flying Pony Head, Queen Greenscale Fishperson, King Pigeon, Queen Spiderbite, and Overlord Lucitor. The Magic High Commission was there as well, Rhombulus crystal head wrapped in bandages and each hand bickering about what Mina’s punishment should be. With them was also several representatives from the Monster Dukedom. Moon, now Queen, stood next to rather than sit in her Mothers throne. By her side was Toffee who has been a constant and reassuring present. The coldness in his demeanor helped calm her down.

All gathered in Butterfly Castles grand hall. Mina hanging upside down and wrapped in Dragon Chains, gagged and bound for her crimes.

“Mine Loveberry,” Moon said in a voice not too dissimilar to her Mothers Queen Voice, “by witness of myself and Sir Toffee, you stand guilty of high treason, regicide, attempted murder of a knighted individual, disobedience, abandonment of duty, and conspiracy to start a war. The first two alone are merit enough for a beheading, the rest together would be enough as well. In a perfect world I would have executed you the moment I watched you kill my mother and be done with it. Unfortunately you are the figure head for a dangerous faction within the kingdom and so killing you is not a simple or easy mater to consider. In light of this I have accepted Sir Toffee’s council and sentence you to Banishment into the Void. With any luck you’ll fall into a star or black hole. Do any present object to her sentencing?”

“The Johansens support Queen Moons sentence,” King Johansen said.

“The Pony Heads support the Queen’s sentence,” King Pony Head said.

“The Waterfolk agree with the Queen,” Queen Fishperson said.

“Chirp chirp,” King Pigeon cooed.

“I agree,” Overlord Lucitor said.

“In light of the situation, I agree,” Queen Spiderbite said.

“Can I crystallize her? She did use dark magic!” Rhombulus pointed out.

“And risk part of Mewni resenting us?” Hekapoo asked and shook her head. “We need to be as natural as possible here.”

“Baaa,” Lekmet chimed in.

“We support the Queen,” Omnitraxus Prime said, “it is the best course of action at present.”

“If Toffee suggested it then we’ll stand by it,” Taffy said, “but I am of the same mind as the Queen for what her punishment should be in a perfect world. I watched too many die at her hands, too many children.”

“Omnitraxus or Hekapoo, can one of you open a portal to the most remote region of the Void devoid of anything for me?” Moon asked, “I need a moment.”  
Moon turned and then left the hall, with Toffee close at her heels.

* * *

In the tallest tower of the castle Moon looked out the window and at the Kingdom that she was now responsible for, decades too early. She looked at it and felt cold, as she had been since the anger of her Mothers death had faded.

“You’re not doing a vary good job of hiding,” Moon said with out turning.

“I’m not hiding,” Toffee told her as she stepped beside her. “Now isn’t the time.”

They lapsed into a silence. Toffee knowing that he shouldn’t be the one to break it and Moon being unwilling to.

“Your mother…”

“Dead by Solaria’s hand,” Toffee told her. “I was forced to watch it happen.”

“Just like me.”

“Both by the weapons of a warmonger and racist,” Toffee paused and considered what to say next. Then he quietly added, “both died to save me.”

Moon turned to look up at him and felt a sense of kinship. Here she saw some one who could undoubtedly relate to how she felt. Who went through the exact same thing. Then with shaking hands she embraced him and felt a sense of safety as she let out the first tears over her mother.

Toffee’s only response was to rest his permanently injured hand on her head and to not address it further.

* * *

As he let Moon cry Toffee’s mind was reeling. Never in a fever dream had he ever expected Queen Comet to die so soon. In twenty years, maybe. Now Comet went and martyred herself for him, him, a Monster. Not just any Monster either, the Monster that nearly tore Mewni apart three hundred years ago. The Monster that then one day stopped for no apparent reason as far as the average Mewman was concerned. Then came at the head of unified Monster nation under a banner of peace and unity.

There are several ways this could but they revolve around two core principles. The Mewmen could see Comets sacrifice as her willingness to do anything to make this peace work, if thats the case they would take it as her dying wish for there to be peace. On the other hand they could think that Toffee killed Comet and framed Mina to further his own goals, a stupid and reckless decision that had far too many negatives than positive and went directly against his plans entirely.

“This is going to get harder now, isn’t it?” Moon sniffed.

“This will polarize the people,” Toffee told her. “Your mother sacrificed herself for me, those who loved her will see that as her dying wish was for peace. Then there are those like Mina, who will not care and the death of their queen be the fault of a Monster.”

“How badly does this mess with your plan?”

“There is no plan now,” Toffee admitted. “We will have to play this by ear.”

“I should have killed her,” Moons voice was cold and calm.

“We need to play it safe from now on,” Toffee said. “No new policies, no new initiatives, slight and gradual change from now on. We are steps away from a flash point that could end badly if there is just one misstep.”

Moon took a step back and looked out the window again. Her wand found its way into her hands and she started to wring in like a cloth. There was something brewing inside of her mind, something that she was not comfortable with.

“There is some information I will release,” Moon said and looked over her shoulder at him. “Solaria’s Super-Magic Soldier program. Mina was a prototype. She was too unstable for the battle field.”

“She functioned perfectly on the battle field, I lost hundreds of good warriors to her over the years.”

“She made it too personal,” Moon said. “The soldiers were supposed to be cold and unfeeling, but she was the opposite.”

“She took pleasure from it I’m sure. The information may sway some minds our way if they find out was the Monster Carver was willing to do to her fellow Mewmen in order to kill a few Monsters.”

“Thats what I’m hoping.”


	16. Chapter 16

Moon swept and slashed her war-sickle in focused arcs at Toffee. Every attempt of an attack was brushed to the side with minimal effort. Like every day Moon insisted that it end in a sparring session. Something that worried the Septarian as the newly made queen was in no condition for such activity. Her moves where slow with obvious fatigue. Dark patches from lack of sleep ringed her eyes.

With a sigh Toffee had finally had enough. Hooking her blade with his he retched the pole arm from her grip, “enough!”

Moon stumbled forward and fell to her knee. Glaring up at him she tried to stand again.

“Stay down,” Toffee ordered.

“You do not order me _ser_ Toffee!”

“I do order you Moon Butterfly of Septarsis!” He snapped. “Look at yourself, barely able to stand and yet you insist on sparing me. Surely running the kingdom isn’t this taxing, you’re mother handled it with half the training you have.”

“I’m fine,” Moon then let out a jaw cracking yawn.

Toffee sighed as he pieced together what was happening, she was doing it all herself. “What happened to the ministers, you didn’t fire them did you?”

“What? No, no they’re just…”

“You’re not letting them do their job,” Toffee finished for her and kneeled down to look her in the eye.

“No, they’re doing their job,” Moon looked away but was still too tired to do more than sit their. “I’m just double checking everything?”

“Why? It’s hardly necessary.”

“But it is,” Moon murmured and looked down. Hands clenched into fist.

“Tell me why.”

“So you can make adjustments to your great plan?!” Moon snapped and glared at him.

“So I can help you, Moon.”

The words caught him off guard and from the look of Moons wide eyes it was the same for her. He meant it of course but for the moment he couldn’t reason why nor did he care to.

As Toffee stared at Moon he watched as her expression shifted from shock to one filled with grief. A tear escaped and ran down her cheek as she smothered a sob.

“I can’t trust them,” Moon’s voice cracked as she said this. “I can’t trust any of them! I thought if their was anything that I could trust in with Mina is her unwavering loyalty to Mewni and to her Queen. That she knew that my Mother would always do whats best for her people. But her fanatic hate of Monsters, of you, won out. When she realized she killed my Mother, her Queen, do you know what she said, _"that Monster is still alive Princess, let me try again."_  How many others are like her? How many of the minsters would rather see Mewni burn than welcome your kind? How can I know? I can’t! There’s no way I can! So I need to make sure, everything they write, everything they sign, everything they read. I need, I need to make sure this works. It has to work or it would have been for nothing, she would have died for nothing!”

Moon heaved and furiously wiped away tears.

“I under stand,” Toffee said. He reached over had wiped away a tear. “When I decided to unify the Mewmen and Monsters I needed to start with my own clan. It was not easy, my victories and triumphs won over many. My strategies won more. Logic and reason added a few. But I wasn’t the clan head at the time, Seth was and he is as fanatical with his hate of Mewmen as Mina is with monsters. My clan split and we had a civil war. I was weary to put anyone in a position of power other than those I trusted with out question for fear of spies or saboteurs. But the list of those I trusted was short and the one for commanders was long. I was smart about it. The ones I trust I gave the crucial jobs, the ones I didn’t I relegated to grunt work or placed spies close to them until I felt I trusted them. Who do you think you can trust?”

“You, Taffy, Monsters, River, a few others but none of them are qualified for a minister position.”

“Put the ones you trust close to the ministers,” Toffee told her as he realized that he was still holding her cheek. Withdrawing his hand he asked, “are you still running relations with the Monsters?”

Moon nodded and wiped away the last of her tears, “I think I should put River on it. He’s kind and more open minded than most. Do you mind helping him with it?”

“I would be honored to help take the weight off of your shoulders,” Toffee said as he did a small bow. As he rose he saw the first smile on Moons face since her the late Queens passing.

* * *

“Honestly I’m relieved,” River sighed as he and Toffee entered Moons old office. “She had me worried for a while, all that work and she didn’t look like she was sleeping much.”

“She wasn’t,” Toffee told him, “she felt the need to double check everything that the ministers did. The Queen has a lack of faith in those she does not trust implacably.”

“After Mina…” River nodded as he sat down.

Looking over the desk he pulled up a stack of papers and began to read through them. There where notes in the margins that where in Moons hand writing. Little details and references to other papers or reports. The entire stack was for import taxes on ores from the Jaggy Mountains.

“Goodness me,” River hummed and pass the stack over to Toffee, “I have a little training for paperwork but I’m unfamiliar with the subject of ores.”

“I believe theirs a book on the subject behind you.” Toffee said idly as he read over the same stack.

River swiveled around and looked up a large bookcase filled with identical book spines. He hummed as he read the titles until he found the one he was looking for. Swiveling back around he began to read and quickly felt his brain turn to jelly.

“So how have you and moon been getting along lately?” River asked to try and keep his boredom in check.

“How do you mean?”

“She only ever seems to be happy around you, so I thought I’d ask.”

“We should focus on work,” Toffee said shortly.

“I am,” River said as he turned a page, “my mind works best when theres more than one thing to do.”

“Then find another topic,” Toffee grumbled.

“You know she likes you, right?”

There was a ripping sound, River looked up to see Toffees claws piercing the paper.

“I know,” Toffee said in a measured voice. “Does it bother you, I can tell that your affections for her are more than friendly.”

River sighed and turned a page again.

“I, I want her to be happy,” he said. “With or with out me, and she’s happy with you. Will you do anything?”

“No,” Toffee said while he looked over one of the pages he put a hole in.

“Why?”

Toffee put down the papers and gave River a dead even stare. Trying to discern if he was joking or not.

“I’m a Monster and she’s a Mewman,” Toffee told him, “simple as that.”

River hummed, “let me see that proposal again.”

Toffee handed it back and said, “I think it should be lowered by a percent.”

“Uh,” River hummed as he shifted through the papers and flipped through the book. Finding the value of the ores and the exchange rate. “That would under cut the mines here in Mewni to the point of closure.”

“If it isn’t lowered then the miners in the Jaggy Mountains can’t feed their families,” Toffee said.

“Uh,” River turned his chair around and pulled another book from the bookshelf and flipped through it quickly. “I would need to check with the finance minister first, but what if we keep the ore import tax as is but lower the export tax on corn?”

“I’ve seen the export tax on corn,” Toffee said, “you would need to cut it in half to make it affordable in the regions with the mines. Besides, the clans responsible for the mines are mostly made up of subterranean races that can’t eat corn, they mostly eat insects. They buy their foodstuffs from inside Monster territory.”

“Okay then…” River murmured as he looked from the book to the proposal. “What if we split the tax so the exporter is responsible for half and the importer covers the other half?”

“That would drive up the price of the ore once in Mewni,” Toffee said, “hows this, lower the tax by half a percent and then deregulate mining rights in the Jaggy Mountains.”

“What would that do?”

“Deregulation will allow small mines with lower overhead,” Toffee explained. “Lower over head means more profit so they can afford their food.”

“I have no idea what we’re doing,” River said with a large grin, “but it sounds good to me. Can you help me rewrite the proposal for the ore tax and then one for the deregulation of mining rights?”

“That is why I am here after all.”

They lapsed into silence as River mimiced Toffee as he wrote the proposals.

Finally River broke the silence, “if you being a Monster and her being a Mewman weren’t the issue, what would you do?”

With a sigh Toffee leaned back in his chair and ran his hand across his face. It looks like the issue will not be dropped like he had hoped. He was a Johansen after all, the hunt is in his blood and he smells blood.

“I would pursue her,” Toffee admitted.

“With the age difference?” River asked, slightly taken aback.

“We are both considered adults by our own race’s standards,” Toffee said. “In fact if we compare the average Septarian life span to a Mewman I might be younger by ratio.”

“So Monsters don’t care about age?” River asked.

“A Flyman will only live for ten years, a Septarian for one or two thousand. I don’t think Shapechangers die naturally. Monsters, as you call us, are a collection of hundreds of races each with varying lifespans.” Toffee explained.

River sat back and thought for a moment. Finally he thumped his palm on the desk, “you know what about this whole situation with Monsters and Mewni has people weary about? Marriage!”

Toffee blinked at River rapidly, “what?”

“Every treaty Mewni has ever signed has been sealed with a tying of bloodlines,” River explained. “Depending on the importance of the treaty its either a branch family or the main Butterfly family that marries a relative of the rulers of the other nation.”

With that River jumped up and hurried out of the room. While Toffee, totally blindsided, sat their and blinked after him. He quickly shook it off and hurried after him, “this can not end well.”


	17. Chapter 17

Toffee found River in Moons office with Moon looking through several books with a creased brow. Sensing the tension in the room he chose to say nothing and wait. When moon sighed and set the book down Toffee chose then to peak.  
“Does this have anything to do with that tradition you told me about, River?” Toffee asked.

But it was Moon who answered, “I am afraid it is far more than just tradition Toffee, its law. Any treaty not sealed with a tying of ruling bloodlines is illegal. How did I forget about that?”

The implication of this hit Toffee harder than the Hydracore he and Moon fought. If the base treaty for the Monster Mewman unification is illegal according to Mewni law then those who oppose it are technically in the right. The war would restart with Mewni aggression. If that happens he might not, no he wouldn’t even be able to speak about unification ever again. The Monsters would see it as the Mewmen breaking the treaty with no cause, the Mewman would see it as the Monsters trying to trick them. Three hundred years of work would go out the window.

“My sister is my only family,” Toffee said while doing his best to stay in control. “So one of us will need to marry a member of the Butterfly's or a branch family, right?”

“Its not that simple,” Moon sighed, “there are no eligible members.”

“There are six branch families,” Toffee sputtered, “how is that possible?”

“Four now,” Moon groaned as she leaned forward and rubbed her temples. “My mother might have caused a bit of a succession crisis. One of the inheritance laws for the queenship is that the heir has to have the greatest magical ability or potential of the Butterflys. My aunt is a great leader and stateswoman but she has almost zero ability for magic, the wand didn’t even change for her. So my grandmother was forced to name my mother as her heir. My mother then panicked under the attention and ran away the day she was meant to receive the wand. When she came back divorced and with me, two of the branch families, the Moths and Bumblebees, threw a fit.

The end was every Moth was banished and the family as a whole lost its status as a branch family. The Bumblebees however, it was discovered that they had no relation to the Butterfly family. Since they where never a branch family every treaty or agreement sealed with a Bumblebee marriage was illegal. My grand mother quickly married or betrothed every member of the remaining branch families to secure those treaties.”

“If I remember correctly there weren’t enough,” River said.

“There weren’t,” Moon said and lanced her fingers together to rest her chin on them. “The next fifteen children born to a Caterpillar, Chrysalis, Silkworm, and Dragonfly are promised.”

“What of your aunt, or her children?” Toffee asked.

“They are nobility in name only,” Moon said, “with little to no magic they’re little more than peasants. That's how Mewni works, doesn’t matter if you’re born to the poorest family so long as you have magic you can easily become a knight if you wish. On the other hand even a royal if not born with magic has no place in politics.”

Toffee clenched his hands into fist, “why didn’t the late Queen inform me of this when we were drawing up the treaty?”

“As you said yourself a few days ago, my mother had half the training I do.” Moon then laughed slightly. “No, she had less. She came back because Grandmother was in poor health. Shortly after the Bumblebee issue was handled Grandmother passed from the stress. My mother learned only what she absolutely needed to in order to run Mewni. Laws on treaties were not needed. As for me and the others, I can only assume that the Monsters wanting peace was such a shock it slipped our minds.”

“There is one person eligible to legalize the treaty,” River pointed out, “the late Queen Estrella never promised your hand.”

Moon and Toffee both slowly turned to look at River who sat there with an Innocent look on his face.

“Its too soon for a Monster to be king,” Toffee said shortly.

“But we don’t have a choice,” Moon told him. “If this peace is to last, if we are to unify the Mewmen and Monsters then we have to skip a few parts of your plan Toffee. I’m sure a few of the ministers already knew of this law, the Commission defiantly did, and the only reason they didn’t say or do anything is that they are at worst neutral towards the idea of unification or just don’t care.”

“At worst they’re waiting for the right moment to tear the peace apart,” River chimed in. “I’m a Johansen, we’re hunters and warriors not politicians or diplomats. I can barely fallow whats being said here but my best guess is that there's going to be a world of trouble either way. One has a chance for a peaceful end and the other is just more and more war. To me its simple, take the path with the chance of peace no matter how small.”

Toffee stared at the prince for a long moment as the words sank in. They were simple and crude words but their was some kind of wisdom to them that River should not possess at his young age. In the end it was the only option so Toffee conceded, "very well then."

"Well make the preparations for the announcement then," Moon said.


End file.
